Enemies of the People (2009)

The Khmer Rouge slaughtered nearly two million people in the late 1970s. Yet the Killing Fields of Cambodia remain unexplained. Until now. Enter Thet Sambath, an unassuming, yet cunning, ... See full summary »

Directors:

Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath

Writers:

Rob Lemkin, Thet Sambath

Stars:

Thet Sambath, Nuon Chea, Pol Pot

17 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Thet Sambath	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nuon Chea	...	Himself
Pol Pot	...	Himself (archive footage)
Khieu Samphan	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ieng Sary	...	Himself (archive footage)

Storyline

The Khmer Rouge slaughtered nearly two million people in the late 1970s. Yet the Killing Fields of Cambodia remain unexplained. Until now. Enter Thet Sambath, an unassuming, yet cunning, investigative journalist who spends a decade of his life gaining the trust of the men and women who perpetrated the massacres. From the foot soldiers who slit the throats to Pol Pot's right-hand man Nuon Chea, the notorious Brother Number Two, Sambath records shocking testimony never before seen or heard. Having neglected his own family for years, Sambath's work comes at a price. But his is a personal mission. He lost his parents and his siblings in the Killing Fields. Amidst his journey to discover why his family died, we come to understand for the first time the real story of Cambodia's tragedy.

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Plot Keywords:

khmer rouge | crime against humanity | genocide | communist utopia | mass murder | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site

Country:

UK Cambodia

Language:

English Khmer

Release Date:

30 July 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

A nép ellenségei

Filming Locations:

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Box Office

Budget:

$300,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$2,277, 1 August 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$73,171, 3 April 2011

Company Credits

Production Co:

Old Street Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Grierson 2010: The British Documentary Awards (2010)

User Reviews

powerful and unique

excerpt, more at my location - Filmmakers have long been obsessed by the Vietnam conflict. From Kubrick to Coppola and all stops in between, the war has been a cinema staple for years. Somehow, the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia has failed to ignite Western interest to anywhere near the same extent. Remaining in the shadow of its neighbour, a genocide which saw the massacre of up to two million people in the aftermath of the Vietnam War has rarely been represented on screen.

Enemies Of The People is a deeply personal film which, despite its harrowing content, offers a real sense of redemption to those who are both victims and perpetrators of the Khmer Rouge. More than just a labour of love for Thet Sambath, it offers a sense of closure and reconciliation - and serves as a powerful and unique historical document.