First They Killed My Father written and directed by Angelina Jolie, Loung Ung co-wrote the screenplay based on her book

First They Killed My Father written and directed by Angelina Jolie, Loung Ung co-wrote the screenplay based on her book

I think I have read somewhere that this exceptional film was not kept on the short list for the Academy Awards.

But I may be wrong.

It is anyway deservedly nominated for the Golden Globe for:

-          Best Motion Picture- Foreign Language

This is where it is competing with another outstanding film, Nelyubov aka Loveless, entered in the awards race by Russia.

Communism has inflicted incredible suffering on multitudes around the world, including in my country.

But the extent of the hardship is paling when compared with Cambodia or Kampuchea as they called it for a while:

-          The atrocious Khmer Rouge regime massacred about a quarter of the population of the country!!

-          Between one and a half and three million people have been murdered!!

And this terrible narrative is the subject of this memorable motion picture.

-          It could be compared with The Killing Fields, another masterpiece dealing with the horrors that took place in Cambodia

The start of the film is almost or perhaps really funny:

-          ‘Please allow me to introduce myself

-          I'm a man of wealth and taste

-          I've been around for a long, long year

-          Stole many a man's soul to waste

-          …

-          Pleased to meet you

-          Hope you guess my name

-          But what's puzzling you

-          Is the nature of my game

-          …

-          I rode a tank

-          Held a general's rank

-          When the blitzkrieg raged

-          And the bodies stank

-          Pleased to meet you

-          Hope you guess my name, oh yeah

-          Ah, what's puzzling you

-          Is the nature of my game, oh yeah

-          (Woo woo, woo woo)

-          …”

The lyrics of the Rolling Stones’ Sympathy for the Devil are used to introduce comments about the American intervention in the country.

Millions of tones have been dropped on this country that was neutral at the time and American officials denied any wrongdoing…

But this is anyway just a small part of the terror, the horror depicted in this film, which has Loung Ung at the center of the plot.

The seven year old girl has to leave the capital with her family and they endure physical and psychological torture.

The Khmer Rouge confiscate all possessions, speaking about the future of the country which will be Paradise on Earth.

The reality reminds me of a joke we used to have with our own president visiting the USA and talking for a few minutes with heaven from there and paying only $ 50,000, but when he is back home, he spends only $ 5 for a very long, five hours call with hell.

This is puzzling him:

-          How come, he asks the operator, this is just $ 5?

-          This is the cost

-          But in America, I paid $ 50,000 for five minutes?!!

-          Yes, but this was a local call…

In other words, the propaganda of the Khmer Rouge regime boasted about how great their paradise is or will be.

But in reality, this was hell!!

I was wondering throughout about children in films- yes, they are protected and maybe enjoy a lot of going on.

But I still think at times that some of them are not really so uplifted by what they have to pretend to have suffered in fiction.

Otherwise, this film is stupendous.