North American Premiere
The son of a farmer, young Saloth Sar was fostered by his brother and sister-in-law, Chea Samy, who was a star dancer at the Cambodian Royal Palace. Known as a kind boy who played the violin, there was no sign that this young man would become the notorious Pol Pot, the brutal dictator and leader of the Khmer Rouge, responsible for the Cambodian genocide which killed 2-million people from 1975 to 1979. The regime specifically targeted intellectuals and artists. This is the story of how Khmer classical dance was nearly decimated in the process, and how one woman single-handedly revived the form.
Featuring archival footage, dance performance, and behind-the-scenes moments with choreographer Sophine Cheam (one of Samy’s pupils), Enrique Sánchez Lansch’s documentary boasts incredible cinematography and stunning sound design. It is a remarkable achievement that sheds new light on one of the darkest moments of history. Not to be missed.
Thessaloniki IDFF – Greece 2024, DOK.fest München – Germany 2024
Oct 2 & 4: Q&A with director Enrique Sanchez Lansch
Presented by
Media Partner
Community Partner
Sophiline Cheam Shapiro
Germany/Norway
2024
In Central Khmer and English with English subtitles
Book Tickets
Indigenous & Community Access
Indigenous Access Tickets Community Access Tickets Ticket Donation Requests
Credits & Director
Producer
Arne Birkenstock, Laryssa Stone
Screenwriter
Enrique Sánchez Lansch
Cinematography
Marcus Winterbauer
Editor
Julia Oehring
Original Music
Christoph Kaiser, Julian Maas
Enrique Sánchez Lansch
A trained singer himself, Spanish-German director Enrique Sánchez Lansch often deals with music in his films. His award-winning documentary films include Rhythm Is It! (2004) about 250 dancing teenagers which sold 650,000 tickets in German theatres, The Reichsorchester (2007) on the Berlin Philharmonic in Nazi Germany, Piano Encounters (2010) on a childhood at the piano, and recently A Symphony of Noise (2021) about musician, music producer and activist Matthew Herbert.
Filmography: Rhythm Is It! (2004); The Reichsorchester (2007); The Promise of Music (2008); Inside the Uffizi (2020); A Symphony of Noise (2021)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Mistura
This foodie film from Peru tells the story of a newly single socialite reinventing herself — and the local cuisine — after her husband has left her for a younger woman. Along the way, she finds support from unexpected places...
The Company of Strangers
In this Canadian gem, seven elderly women find themselves stranded when their bus breaks down in the wilderness. With only their wits, memories and some roasted frogs' legs to sustain them, this remarkable group of strangers share their life stories.
GoodFellas
The ultimate crash and burn movie, Scorsese's exhilarating gangster film is infused with the excitement of fast cash, girls, guns and drugs. Yet this brazenly amoral movie also captures the brutality, betrayal, and spiritual void of the criminal world.
Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino announced himself to the world with this ingeniously fractured heist movie, carved into character-centric chapters, riffing breezily on pop culture, but counterpointing all this with blood-soaked intensity.