Facing Genocide – Khieu Samphan and Pol Pot


A film by David Aronowitsch and Staffan Lindberg

The film Facing Genocide is a search into the personality of Khieu Samphan. He was the Head of state of one of the most brutal regimes ever, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. We have followed him one and half year before his arrest in 2007. He is soon facing a trial and is charged with Crimes Against Humanity, War Crimes and Genocide. The film gives insight into his mindset, his life today and his close relation to Pol Pot. It is a unique story about an ex-leader the time before his arrest and before he is put on trial.

Rent/buy on Vimeo On Demand. English subtitles.

Others appearing in the film:
Theary Seng, lawyer and victim of the Khmer Rouge. She is Khieu Samphan’s antagonist in the film and also the voice of the victims.
Jacques Vergès, Khieu Samphan’s defence-lawyer often called the Devil’s advocate.
So Socheat, Khieu Samphan’s wife, who has been with him since the beginning of the seventies.
Nuon Chea, ideologist and Head of Security of the Khmer Rouge.


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Production facts:

Directors: David Aronowitsch and Staffan Lindberg
Duration: 94 min.
Year: 2010
Shooting format: Super 16 mm.
Producer: David Aronowitsch, Jenny Örnborn and Tobias Janson
Camera: Göran Olsson
Research: Puy Kea 
Music: Michel Wenzer
Editor: Torkel Gjørv
Dramaturgist: Jon Haukeland
Sound edit and mix: Anders Nyström
Graphic Design: Stefania Malmsten

Broadcasters and financiers: The Swedish Film Institute/Tove Torbiörnsson, The Norwegian Film Institute/Maria Fuglevaag Warsinski, Slate funding Media Plus Programme 2006, The Nordic Film and TV Fond/Eva Færevaag, NRK / Tore Tomter, VPRO/Nathalie Windhorst, Konstnärsnämnden/The Swedish Arts Grants Committee
In co-production with: The Swedish Television, SVT/Axel Arnö, Medieoperatørene Norway/Charlotte Røhder Tved, Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen/Jesper Bergom-Larsson

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