FIRST THEY KILLED MY FATHER (Video Release USA 2017)

Ben Meyers’ rating: 4.8|5.0 Starsìììì

First They Killed My Father—is a gruesome reality portrait of 1975 Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge regime as told through the eyes of a seven-year-old girl. It’s a ‘do not miss’ historical documentary based on actual events. Angelina Jolie directs this film and manages to pull her audience into the drama with surprising power and intensity. While using a two-dimensional media that by its very nature of presentation sterilizes all life experience due to the lack of involvement of three of our five senses, Jolie still manages to manipulate and involve the remaining two senses of sight and sound into a merciless voyage into constant terror. Even if viewed with a disciplined intellectual approach, the film relentlessly pursues the viewer making it nearly impossible to divorce oneself from the misery of this situation. It starkly reminds us that the price of war, the seeking of power, and the resulting slaughter of millions of humans on the altar that is high handedly called the Altar of Change and Necessity is far too costly a price to pay for egocentric goals that do not seek peace and harmony as the first priority of human existence on this planet.

Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia

Storyline

Loung Ung (Sareum Srey Moch) survives years of her younger life in war-torn Cambodia and details her means of survival against all possible odds.

Additional Thanks

Thank you to Director Angelina Jolie for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Sarah Bowen, Pauline Fischer, Maddox Jolie-Pitt, Charles J.D. Schlissel, Adam Somner, and Loung Ung for making the film possible. Additional characters/cast include: Pa Ung (Phoeung Kompheak), Ma Ung (Sveng Socheata), Kim (Mun Kimhak), Meng (Heng Dara), Khouy (Khoun Sothea), Geak (Sarun Nika), Chaou (Run Malyna), and Keav (Oun Srey Neang).

Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?

Yes. The film is not for the faint of heart, but is a well-told and needs-to-be told story to remind us that we, as a human whole, need to be completely involved in a deep and lasting change of heart that values and appreciates human life and takes care to establish the wellbeing of all persons no matter their creed, ideology, political belief, nationality, race, or other perceived difference.

Video Critique Available Here:

Ben Meyers