Documentary Educational Resources - Geography / Asia / Cambodia / All Films

Inside the Khmer Rouge

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 12:45:00 GMT

Inside the Khmer Rouge
Buy Now: $320.00

Inside the Khmer Rouge takes an in-depth look at the history, domination, and current status of the Khmer Rouge (a Communist regime) in Cambodia. The film features revealing interviews with soldiers of both the modern Khmer Rouge and those who fight in opposition. A comprehensive timeline of the regime's five-year occupation in Cambodia is dissected and includes a review of key individuals, ideologies, and locations where devastation hit hardest. Following this, the film takes a look at the effects on the Cambodian citizens upon the retraction of Vietnamese forces.

Inside the Khmer Rouge continues to investigate the current tactics the modern Khmer Rouge implement and their attempts to persuade followers in order to rebuild and expand their regime. Oppositely, local forces or "jungle soldiers" discuss their devices for assuring the destruction and atrocities once caused by the Khmer Rouge never happen again.

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K'Sai Chivit

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 11:13:00 GMT

K'Sai Chivit
Buy Now: $295.00

K'Sai Chivit: Threads of Life documents the ancient art form of Khmer silk weaving and its place in Cambodian society today. For over a thousand years, Cambodian weavers have been producing a variety of elegant silks, however current societal hardships Cambodians face have dramatically hindered this production. Organizations like UNESCO have began to take part in the revitalization of Khmer weaving, and have established training programs across the region to increase job opportunities and economic independence.

The film explores the story of Um Lao, an ordinary Cambodian girl who is seeking to improve her life and that of her family. Like many in her situation, improving her craft will lead to a greater opportunity for economic independence and an increase in self-esteem, as well as the successful preservation of this ancient heritage.

The story continues to show Um Lao and her master teacher, as they work side by side and travel from the bustling city to desolate villages, all while maintaining a sense of dignity and dedication that is necessary to revitalize this sacred art.

Suitable for all ages, and those with an interest in Asian Studies, Politics, Art, Class Status, Industry, Rural, Village & Urban Life, Gender Roles, and History.

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Life and Death at Preah Vihear

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 06:41:00 GMT

Life and Death at Preah Vihear
Buy Now: $320.00

Life and Death at Preah Vihear explores why two Buddhist countries are fighting in the 21st Century over a Hindu temple from the 11th Century because of a bad French map from the early 20th Century.

Filmed over a five year period in both Thailand and Cambodia, the film uses the conflict over the ancient temple of Preah Vihear (Khmer) / Khao Phra Viharn (Thai) to illuminate current political and cultural tensions between the two countries. In addition, it shows the ways in which the colonial encounter with the West impacted the concept of borders and boundaries of the Southeast Asian state. Finally, it shows the stark political divisions that have split Thailand into "Red Shirts" and "Yellow Shirts", and exposes how the dispute has influenced -- and been influenced by -- Thai internal politics.

The documentary shows the magnificence and mystical symbolism of the temple itself. Using rare archival footage, it places the present dispute in its historical context in both Cambodia and Thailand. It contains interviews with policy makers, scholars and ordinary people on both sides of the border; some of whom see the conflict as senseless, while others are willing to fight to the death. In Cambodia, it shows 'spirit warriors' of an ancient general being mobilized through trance to defend the country. In Thailand, both Red Shirts and Yellow Shirts are filmed, as are the street demonstrations and fierce fighting that has periodically erupted.

The film includes the most recent Thai military coup, and concludes by examining the impact of this seizure of power on issues along the border.

“David Feingold's Life and Death at Preah Vihear is a valuable work of art, culture, and history. The evenhanded and yet straightforward approach to a contentious border dispute is quite rare. It delves sympathetically but carefully into the rich cultural and political histories of both Cambodia and Thailand, and their differential experiences with French colonialist frontier-making. This is another very professional Feingold film, and a fine teaching resource.”
— Ben Kiernan, Chair, Council on Southeast Asia Studies, Yale University, author of How Pol Pot Came to Power, and The Pol Pot Regime.

“This compelling documentary conveys how maps, senses of place and time, sovereignty, and religion are drawn into on-going struggles about the contested location of Preah Vihear Temple - Cambodia or Thailand. Using historical and contemporary sources, experts and ordinary citizens, the film offers multiple perspectives and insights into how borders and sentiments about them are implicated in domestic and international politics in surprising, and devastating ways, that continue into the present. Highly relevant to area studies, the films would add to courses on memory, politics, place, and religion. The film raises important questions for anthropology and cultural studies.”
— Bambi B. Schieffelin, Collegiate Professor, Professor, Anthropology, New York University

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Return to Year Zero?

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 08:59:00 GMT

Return to Year Zero?
Buy Now: $295.00

Return to Year Zero? focuses on Cambodia as the 10th anniversary of the fall of the Khmer Rouge (a Communist regime) approaches. As the Vietnamese prepare to pull out of the country after its 10-year stay to help secure and rebuild Cambodia, a high level of uncertainty and danger remains. The film takes a look into the villages and urban areas of Cambodia, drawing parallels to life during the Khmer Rouge and in the present. With streets once desolate and terror overgrown, Cambodia has finally begun to revitalize, as business and life return.

Danger still remains, however, as threats of remaining Pol Pot supporters loom and landmines still exist in the quiet, rural fields, injuring innocent civilians daily. Return to Year Zero? features interviews with those most effected by the Khmer Rouge and its fallout, and delve into shared concerns of citizens as they struggle between rebuilding their lives in Cambodia or fleeing the country in search for a new sense of security. Weaved into this distressing story are images of a country filled with breathtaking landscapes, a culture featuring dance and the arts, and an in-depth look at a society that still stands tall.

Suitable for all ages, and those with an interest in Asian Studies, Conflict and/or War, Politics, Rural, Village & Urban Life, Gender Roles, and History.

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Seasons of Migration

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 07:46:00 GMT

Seasons of Migration
Buy Now: $320.00

Seasons of Migration (56 min) is a documentary about Sophilene Cheam Shapiro's four part classical Cambodian dance about the stages of culture shock. It blends the dance with commentary about the music and choreography, and personal stories of emigration and culture shock from Cambodian-American residents of Long Beach, California (the largest Cambodian city outside of Cambodia).

Also included on this DVD, a second video (38 min) presents the complete dance, shot with multiple cameras. The dance is interesting for its use of a classical vocabulary to address contemporary themes. It was produced by John Shapiro of the Khmer Arts Academy.

SELECTED SCREENINGS & AWARDS

Dance on Camera Festival, New York, 2007

Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival, Taipei, 2007

Everglades International Film Festival, Dargle, Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, 2007

Cinemekong, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2007

Cambofest, Phnom Penh & Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2007

Eugene International Film Festival, Oregon, 2008

Beverly Hills Hi-Def Film Festival, California, 2008

Strategies From Within: An Exhibition of Vietnamese & Cambodian Contemporary Art Practices, Shanghai, China, 2008

Apsara: Spirit Of Cambodia (Exhibition), Siem Reap, Cambodia, 2008

Nominee: Asian Pacific Screen Awards, Gold Coast, Australia, 2008

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Silent Sentinels, Coward's War

Tue, 28 Aug 2018 07:46:00 GMT

Silent Sentinels, Coward's War
Buy Now: $320.00

In a post-Khmer Rouge society, Cambodia still continues to fight with the ghosts of war. The dominance of landmines throughout rural villages remains a lingering danger and daily threat to the lives of innocent civilians. This issue has spread to become a widespread crisis, as over one thousand people across the globe are killed each month due to landmines. Even as war in the effected areas is in the past, these poverty-stricken regions remain helpless in a struggle with the "toxic waste of war."

Silent Sentinels, Coward's War features interviews with the civilians who have experienced death and amputation firsthand. These individuals are not the soldiers the weapons are intended to harm; they are mothers, fathers, and children. The film also includes interviews with the contemporary Khmer Rouge soldiers aiming to "liberate" Cambodia, as they continue to employ mines in new locations and discuss their combat tactics. Only recently have certain organizations come to the aid of countries facing the issue of landmine removal. These organizations, however, tend to focus mainly on the wealthier countries (such as Kuwait) that can afford to support the process of mine deactivation.

Silent Sentinels, Coward's War is an important, informative film that provides a voice for the thousands of innocent people who have been tormented, displaced, and killed due to landmines. Suitable for students in middle-school and up, and those with an interest in Asian Studies, Conflict and/or War, Politics, Rural, Village & Urban Life, Gender Roles, and History.

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Waiting for Cambodia

Fri, 24 Aug 2018 12:26:00 GMT

Waiting for Cambodia
Buy Now: $320.00

Since the fall of the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime in 1979, Cambodia has struggled to find its uniqueness and rebuild its society. Waiting For Cambodia features interviews and discussions with a variety of citizens, many of who represent a face of change and hope, and many who remain dedicated to the Khmer Rouge ideology. Images of cultural beauty are displayed through ritualistic dance and song, serving as a powerful accompaniment to the rough images of conflict. The attempts to regain culture, individual rights, and freedom are prevalent themes within the film, and footage of Cambodian relief camps and liberation organizations are displayed as efforts of change.

Regardless, the plight to re-create a sense of identity has been rough, as global support has been minimal. Ninety percent of Cambodians are considered to be displaced persons, and many camps are limited in resources and overcrowded. Many questions continue to plague Cambodia, and the lack of a positive leader may prove to be the heart of the issue. In a time where a country's individuality is on the line, Waiting For Cambodia explores the highs and lows of the Cambodian dilemma, and the various paths to travel in order to regain its identity.

Suitable for students in middle school and up, and those with an interest in Asian Studies, Conflict and/or War, Politics, Rural, Village & Urban Life, Gender Roles, and History.

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Bunong's Birth Practices

Thu, 26 Jul 2018 09:36:00 GMT

Bunong's Birth Practices
Buy Now: $320.00

On the basis of a social anthropological case study, this film documents the birth practices of the Bunong in Mondulkiri province, located in the northeast of Cambodia. Social, economic, and political changes are transforming the province tremendously and are affecting villagers' beliefs, perceptions and habits regarding pregnancy, delivery and early motherhood. Traditional midwives, pregnant women, mothers and their families give a personal insight into their present decision-making strategies, which are at the crossroads between tradition and modernity.

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