This set of slides, transferred to video and set to Khmer music, is a beautiful and well-presented introduction to recent Cambodian history and current conditions. The photos begin with scenes of daily life, scenery, houses, the Royal Palace and many shots of people's faces. The story is thus personalized from the outset. A brief overview of early history emphasizes the Angkor Wat temple complex. We are walked through a single year in the agricultural cycle from New Year's celebrations to planting through harvesting. Then the tone shifts to the upheavals of the last twenty-five years, including the American bombing, the coup that ended the monarchy, the rise of the Khmer Rouge and the horrors of their rule. The emphasis is on the fact that no one in Cambodia was left untouched by the death and destruction of this period. What is highlighted about the next decade, after the Vietnamese ousted the Khmer Rouge, is the rebuilding of the country and the embargo from the West. Fighting continued in the 1980s with remnants of the Khmer Rouge allied with two small non-communist resistance factions who had support from China and the West. The video then shifts to note the peace negotiations, and the United Nations mission. More than 90 percent of the registered voters turned out on election day in 1993, electing a new government.
A realistic discussion follows of the problems that remain: banditry, crime, economic instability, a growing gap between urban and rural populations, and the legacy of landmines. Mention is made of the newly legalized Christian church. Finally, the video discusses the work of the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), which has been working in Cambodia since 1981. The pictures show MCC projects: irrigation, tree planting, well drilling and health care training.
The video does an excellent job of summarizing a complex historical and political situation in a brief package. While the narrator speaks slowly and clearly, the nature of the material might restrict the use of this piece to older audiences. The video would be good for all adult audiences with no previous knowledge of the country. It could also be useful for high school or middle school classes, though teachers at any level should be prepared for tough questions like: Why did the U.S. bomb Cambodia? Why did the Khmer Rouge kill so many people? Why did the U.S. support the Khmer Rouge for the seat at the UN? By putting so much information into such a short piece, the producers by necessity raise more questions than they have time to answer.
My criticisms are few. The correct pronunciation of the name of the capital is Phnom Penh, with the "Ph" pronounced, not 'Nom Penh. The mention of the Christian church seems unnecessary, but obviously there are other uses for this film, including fund
raising for MCC projects. The film is slightly dated, since it predates the July 1997 coup, the defeat of the remnants of the Khmer Rouge, and the death of Pol Pot.
There are very few films available on contemporary Cambodia, and many of those focus only on the violence. This film is useful because while giving an overview of recent upheavals, it also gives us, however briefly, a glimpse into people's lives.
