Filmmaker Socheata Poeuv (Photo: www.newyearbaby.net)Cambodian Documentary Draws US Praise
VOA Khmer Reporters
Original reports from Washington
10 October 2007
Click here to listen Chhim Sumedh reports in Khmer
Click here to listen Poch Reasey reports in Khmer
Click here to listen Poch Reasey reports in Khmer
"New Year Baby," a documentary by Cambodian-American Socheata Poeuv, was shown last Saturday at the 8th Annual DC Asian Pacific American Film Festival.
The film is a personal quest to learn how the filmmaker's family survived the Khmer Rouge regime and came to be Americans and why her parents hid the truth of that period from her for so many years.
Linda Chan, a Cambodian-American who came to see the film, said she was moved by the story. She herself never told her children about Cambodia. The film changed her mind, she said.
"In the future I would tell them things about Cambodia," Chan said. "In the past I was afraid they wouldn't concentrate in school."
Odom Mony Ngin was born in the United States to Cambodian parents. She came to watch the documentary with her mother and two sisters.
The film was a good reflection of Cambodian society, she said.
"I think this film tells the truth," she said. "It tells a truth that all Cambodian-American families go through. We were born in the United States, but we live in Cambodian families and culture. Sometimes we face this barrier in communicating with our parents. Sometimes it's hard to talk to our parents. We can share this with the filmmaker."
Non-Cambodians, too, found a message in the film.
"I think it's very important that we must confront our past so that we won't forget where we came from," said Brad Daniels, a university student from California.
Socheata Poeuv said she was very excited by the reactions from the audience to her film. "I feel great," she said.
"I feel the audience responded very well. Many people came up and told me that they laughed and they cried during the film. And they had a lot of questions for me after the movie."
Socheata Poeuv has received numerous awards for her documentary. She plans to show the film in Lowell, Mass., and Long Beach, Calif., where many Cambodians live.
Click here for additional information about "New Year Baby"
The film is a personal quest to learn how the filmmaker's family survived the Khmer Rouge regime and came to be Americans and why her parents hid the truth of that period from her for so many years.
Linda Chan, a Cambodian-American who came to see the film, said she was moved by the story. She herself never told her children about Cambodia. The film changed her mind, she said.
"In the future I would tell them things about Cambodia," Chan said. "In the past I was afraid they wouldn't concentrate in school."
Odom Mony Ngin was born in the United States to Cambodian parents. She came to watch the documentary with her mother and two sisters.
The film was a good reflection of Cambodian society, she said.
"I think this film tells the truth," she said. "It tells a truth that all Cambodian-American families go through. We were born in the United States, but we live in Cambodian families and culture. Sometimes we face this barrier in communicating with our parents. Sometimes it's hard to talk to our parents. We can share this with the filmmaker."
Non-Cambodians, too, found a message in the film.
"I think it's very important that we must confront our past so that we won't forget where we came from," said Brad Daniels, a university student from California.
Socheata Poeuv said she was very excited by the reactions from the audience to her film. "I feel great," she said.
"I feel the audience responded very well. Many people came up and told me that they laughed and they cried during the film. And they had a lot of questions for me after the movie."
Socheata Poeuv has received numerous awards for her documentary. She plans to show the film in Lowell, Mass., and Long Beach, Calif., where many Cambodians live.
Click here for additional information about "New Year Baby"
4 comments:
good thing i saw this article, i'm gonna go see this movie on friday at the sdaff.
Interesting...I wonder how I can get a copy of this film.
Most KR films and books by Khmer survivors tend to focus on the horror , rather than the causes, of the tragedy.
While such approach may help bring awareness to the Killing Fields, I'd like to see more young Cambodians examine the roots of the conflict so that we'll be able to avoid it in the future.
A good place to start is the Yale Cambodian Program website: http://www.yale.edu/cgp/index.html
http://www.oudam.com
Yes, we must learn about the cause of the fire if we are to prevent it from happening again. I mean fully understand it, not just in Cambodia, but also beyond.
Everyone know that fire is hot and destructive already, so why focus so much attention on that.
just saw this movie, it's a great movie! everyone in the san diego area should go see this movie if they have a chance. Socheata Poeuv's father is the best of what the human race has to offer! she's very lucky!
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