Authors, Artists, and Filmmakers
The first work I've looked at in relation to this conflict is First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. The memoir is told from the author, Loung Ung, from her childhood perspective living through the Khmer Rouge. The book was published in the United States in 2005, about 25 years after the conflict ended. I also watched "The Killing Fields." The film was produced in 1984 and released in the UK. Based off a true story, the film begins with the American Journalist, Sydney Schanberg, who convinces Dith Pran, his fellow Cambodian Journalist, to stay when the Khmer Rouge take over. However, the situation becomes much worse than either of them could have imagined and Pran is forced into a work camp. The film then splits between Schanberg's attempts to find Pran, and Pran's escape from the camps. I also watched the film Swimming to Cambodia, a performance theatre featuring Spalding Gray. Gray shares his experience of landing a role in the movie "The Killing Fields," as well as elaborate stories concerning his travels. The film was released in the United States in 1987. Lastly, I viewed some paintings by Vann Nath, a Cambodian man who lived through the Khmer Rouge. He was one of the seven survivors of the 14,000 jailed in S-21, a secret Khmer Rouge prison. His talent in art kept him alive-- he was used to sculpt and paint Pol Pot, the head of the Khmer Rouge. After escaping the prison in 1979, he used his painting skills to portray some of the horrors he witnessed in the prison (to view some of these paintings click here).
There are some some significant differences in how these various artists represent the conflict. I noticed that the works published by non-Cambodians ("The Killing Fields" and "Swimming in Cambodia") focus on the conflict from the perspective of the white, english-speaking main character. For instance, "The Killing Fields" centers around Schanberg and his attempts to save Pran from the Khmer Rouge, as well as his attempts to find him. Though the viewer sees some scenes of Pran's captivity, the film switches back to the comfort of the United States. "Swimming in Cambodia" completely centers on Gray and his experiences, except for a brief history of the Khmer Rouge. Otherwise, he discusses his interactions with drugs, prostitutes, his girlfriend, a small eared man, an ocean, the obscure list continues. The problem with these films is that as Americans, we hear more of the United States/English-speaker perspective than the Cambodian perspective. Based solely off these works, viewers do not get a full grasp of what happened during the genocide and what the victims experienced. Consequently, the victims are silenced by the views of those who were not directly affected by the Khmer Rouge rule.
Luckily, there are artists who went through the genocide and can express their story, as well as others, in their work. Loung Ung gives detailed insight into the cruelties that the Khmer Rouge inflicted on its people, and the atrocities that happened daily in the work camps. Her first-hand account allows for Americans and other countries to really recognize the depths of this conflict, in which works created by those who did not live through the genocide could not. Vann Nath also allows for this comprehension through his pictorial depictions of S-21. These visuals display the horrific experiences that occurred, and provides a perception that historical facts do not contain. These two survivors aid in our understanding of this brutal conflict that was hidden from the rest of the world.
There are some some significant differences in how these various artists represent the conflict. I noticed that the works published by non-Cambodians ("The Killing Fields" and "Swimming in Cambodia") focus on the conflict from the perspective of the white, english-speaking main character. For instance, "The Killing Fields" centers around Schanberg and his attempts to save Pran from the Khmer Rouge, as well as his attempts to find him. Though the viewer sees some scenes of Pran's captivity, the film switches back to the comfort of the United States. "Swimming in Cambodia" completely centers on Gray and his experiences, except for a brief history of the Khmer Rouge. Otherwise, he discusses his interactions with drugs, prostitutes, his girlfriend, a small eared man, an ocean, the obscure list continues. The problem with these films is that as Americans, we hear more of the United States/English-speaker perspective than the Cambodian perspective. Based solely off these works, viewers do not get a full grasp of what happened during the genocide and what the victims experienced. Consequently, the victims are silenced by the views of those who were not directly affected by the Khmer Rouge rule.
Luckily, there are artists who went through the genocide and can express their story, as well as others, in their work. Loung Ung gives detailed insight into the cruelties that the Khmer Rouge inflicted on its people, and the atrocities that happened daily in the work camps. Her first-hand account allows for Americans and other countries to really recognize the depths of this conflict, in which works created by those who did not live through the genocide could not. Vann Nath also allows for this comprehension through his pictorial depictions of S-21. These visuals display the horrific experiences that occurred, and provides a perception that historical facts do not contain. These two survivors aid in our understanding of this brutal conflict that was hidden from the rest of the world.