The Killing Fields

Director: Roland Joffe
Screenwriters: Bruce Robinson, Sydney Schanberg

Institute History

  • 1985 Sundance Film Festival

Description

The setting is Cambodia, 1984. New York Times war correspondent Sydney Schanberg and his Cambodian assistant Dith Pran forego evacuation to cover the communist’s entry into Phnom Penh. Schanberg is soon expelled by the Khmer Rouge, while Dith Pran, like thousands of his countrymen, is forced into hard labor. Upon his return to the United States, Schanberg initiates an exhausting four year search to learn the fate of his former friend and colleague. The Killing Fields is a rare and powerful film, unforgettable in its statement of war and friendship, of the anguish of a ruined country and one man’s will to survive. In his feature debut, Roland Joffe directs a strong ensemble cast lead by Sam Waterson and Haing S. Nigor.

Screening Details

Credits

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