First they killed my father, directed by Angelina Jolie

Recalling the horrors of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia – no

time to forget

“First they killed my father”, a biographical drama directed by Angelina Jolie and based

on the book with the same name written by Loung Ung was released on September 15

of 2017.

The film begins in 1975 in the capital of Cambodia, Phnom Pehn where 7 year old

Loung (Sareum Srey Moch) lives with her family. The father worked for the

government which allowed her family to live a stable life but all of that changes when

the Khmer Rouge-a communist guerrilla organization- invades Phnom Pehn forcing

Loung’s family and many others to leave their houses for fear of being killed. The

family ends up in an agricultural work camp and are eventually separated.

Even though it´s simple the movie is at the same time strong and shocking not just

because of the images of violence but also because it shows us through the eyes of a

child the horror that she is living, which I believe was a very smart move of the

production team. We can feel her fear when her dad is taken by the communist forces

and we can see her confusion when she is forced to leave her life behind.

Another thing that I need to point out is the fact that this movie doesn´t have a lot of

dialogue, giving the viewer the opportunity to focus on the details of the scenery and

on the expressions of the actors (that truth be told gave this film the depth) and live

this film in a more personal way. This being, in my opinion, one of the most remarkable

things about “First they killed my father”.

The film keeps you glued to the screen and the viewer will go through some heart-

breaking moments like the one where Loung’s older sister dies due to hunger and the

only thing that Loung hopes is that her sister never returns to that place or the final

sequence of the film where we are given a cruel war scene.

The movie is powerful. It needs to be because it shows us the cruel reality of the

victims and survivors of Cambodia and of many people that are living in a similar way.

It should be watched with respect because it won´t let us forget the atrocities that

human beings are capable of.

In conclusion despite the dark emotion that a majority of the film conveys this is a

must watch that makes us learn or remember about one of the worst genocides of the

20th century that killed over 25% of the Cambodia population.

Mariana Vaz