First They Killed My Father
2017
•
2h 16min
• Drama, History
Phnom Penh, Cambodia, is home to the large, happy Ung family when armed soldiers of the Khmer Rouge move into the city in FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER: A DAUGHTER OF CAMBODIA REMEMBERS. Given only moments to evacuate their comfortable home, "Pa" (an excellent Phoeung Kompheak) shepherds his loved ones, including Loung (Sareum Srey Moch), a little girl who appears to perceive every nuance in her surroundings, through the crowds leaving the city. It's an exodus that leads to brutality, starvation, and terror. A series of makeshift shelters, camps, and hideouts become temporary homes, as the Ung family prays that Pa's government affiliation won't be uncovered. As the atrocities escalate and some can't be saved, the family is separated. Loung finds herself alone and part of an intensive effort to indoctrinate the children and turn them into soldiers. Only a clear mind, a resilient spirit, and her devotion to her family enable Loung to survive and return to the arms of whatever family she may have left.
