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
Sensualidad
Prostitute Aurora (Cuban-born dance queen Ninón Sevilla) gets out of prison and exacts her vengeance by seducing the very married and respectable judge who put her behind bars (Fernando Soler). Eros makes a mockery of rectitude and righteousness.
Take Me In Your Arms
In this boldly stylized musical melodrama mixing reformist politics with outrageous musical numbers, the incomparable Ninón Sevilla is the poor fisherman's daughter navigating a success of dodgy men on her way to true love.
The Blue Trail
77-year-old Tereza makes a break for the Brazilian jungle in this trippy septuagenarian fantasy, the latest from Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro is a quirky picaresque, lushly photographed and filled with mordant humour.
Calle Málaga
Seventy-nine-year-old María Ángeles lives independently in Tangier's Spanish quarter. When her daughter pressures her into selling her apartment, she refuses to give in, finding in her old age a new resilience and an unexpected romantic connection.