First They Killed My Father (2017)

Cambodian author and human rights activist Loung Ung recounts the horrors she suffered as a child under the rule of the deadly Khmer Rouge.

Director:

Angelina Jolie

Writers:

Loung Ung (screenplay by), Angelina Jolie (screenplay by)

Stars:

Sareum Srey Moch, Phoeung Kompheak, Sveng Socheata

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 9 wins & 25 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Sareum Srey Moch	...	Loung Ung
Phoeung Kompheak	...	Pa Ung
Sveng Socheata	...	Ma Ung
Mun Kimhak	...	Kim
Heng Dara	...	Meng
Khoun Sothea	...	Khouy
Sarun Nika	...	Geak
Run Malyna	...	Chaou
Oun Srey Neang	...	Keav
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Horm Chhora
Henry Kissinger	...	Himself (archive footage)
Richard Nixon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mony Ros	...	(as Ros Mony)
Tharoth Sam	...	Khmer Rouge Leader
Nout Sophal	...	(as Nuth Sophal)

Storyline

In the 70's, a Cambodian middle-class girl sees the lives of her family and her turning upside-down when the Khmer Rouge invades the Cambodia. They leave their comfortable apartment and lifestyle to live in a primitive working camp. Her father, a former officer, is killed and the family splits to survive.

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Plot Keywords:

genocide | communism | communist utopia | crime against humanity | mass murder | 

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Genres:

Biography | Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Country:

Cambodia USA

Language:

Khmer English French

Release Date:

15 September 2017 (USA)

Also Known As:

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers

Filming Locations:

Cambodia

Box Office

Budget:

$24,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Netflix, Bophana Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

136 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Academy Award - winning cinematographer Anthony Dod Mantle also shot Slumdog Millionaire (2008), which is told - in part - from a child's perspective, too.

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Goofs

When Luong is watching three men carrying a body on a stretcher, the body has its chest uncovered but in the next scene is covered by a red-and-white piece of cloth.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Richard Nixon: [on broadcast TV] Cambodia, a small country of 7 million people, has been a neutral nation since the Geneva agreement of 1954. American policy since then has been to scrupulously respect the neutrality of the Cambodian people.
British Reporter: [standing with troops] The Vietnamese armies on the south side of the river appear to be indifferent to the contest.
Cambodian Politician: Under the pretext that there is a war necessity, they come into Cambodia.
Field Reporter: Are you glad to be in Cambodia?
Soldier: Negative. No.
Radio Reporter: The principle casualties...
[...]

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Connections

Featured in 75th Golden Globe Awards (2018)

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Soundtracks

The Moneybox
written and Performed by Robin Foster, published by Upton Park Music Publishing

User Reviews

Definitely worth a watch

What happens when all the norms of civilization implode. Filmed from the perspective of that of a child, superbly played by, first time actress Sareum Srey Moch who puts in a stunning performance. Perhaps we as adults forget the skills we had as children, like "Let's pretend" and those that relearn them are endowed with great wealth and honour. Angelina Jolie must be congratulated on her lightness of touch, definitely no Hollywood here. The cinematography is well shot, mostly at the height of a child which helps reinforce the helplessness of the protagonists in the dystopian, year zero world that is Cambodia in 1975. There have been many other films that give a more rounded interpretation of this period but none to my recollection, from the perspective of a child, and this is something that all of us can relate to given the special talents of Sareum Srey Moch, who magically takes us back to how a seven year old sees the world, for better or for worse.