Aug 303 min read

Cambodia & Cinéma: “Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot” en route for the 97th Academy Awards

The film "Meeting with Pol Pot" (original title "Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot") has been selected by the Cambodian Oscar® Selection Committee to represent Cambodia in the competition for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, scheduled for 2 March 2025.

The Cambodia Film Commission, which is responsible for promoting Cambodian cinema abroad, has announced that an independent jury of experts has selected Rithy Panh’s film as this year’s entry for Cambodia. A number of members of this year’s committee made statements regarding the film Meeting with Pol Pot.

Reactions

Producer and director Davy Chou emphasised the following:

"An intriguing and compelling reflection on the nature of fiction, the representation of history, and the conditions necessary for the reception of absent images in the present."

Director and producer Sok Visal asserted that “Rendez-vous avec Pol Pot” is an immersive journey, with haunting visuals and meticulous sound design that draw the viewer into the eerie, surreal world inhabited by surreal people.

Cecile Malterre, the Chairperson of the Cambodia Oscar® Selection Committee, stated that the film was "beautifully crafted" and that the director’s commitment to continuing to denounce the genocidal machine was a noteworthy aspect of the film. The diverse techniques employed enable the viewer to perceive the "unregardable" without losing sight of the fact that this is not a work of fiction.

In regard to the decision, Director Rithy Panh and the producers offered the following remarks:

"We are deeply honoured that 'Meeting with Pol Pot' has been selected as the Cambodian entry for the Oscars®. The film, based on the courageous reporting of Elisabeth Becker, illuminates a crucial yet often overlooked aspect of the Cambodian genocide.”

“The cinematic medium possesses the capacity to transform challenging circumstances into something remarkable. This narrative illuminates the notion that even revolutionary movements may initially possess benevolent intentions. We are honoured to be included in the international competition for the Oscars®.”

The film is based on a true story, as recounted by Elisabeth Becker in her best-selling book, When the War Was Over. In a statement regarding the film. She said:

“The film was met with acclaim at the Cannes Film Festival, garnering a standing ovation and positive reviews. It is remarkable to observe the manner in which my experience of reporting in Cambodia has been reimagined by the accomplished Rithy Panh and the exceptional Irene Jacob, who have assumed the roles originally played by me.”

About the film

Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia), 1978. Three foreign journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview with the regime’s leader, Pol Pot. The country appears to be an optimal setting. However, the Khmer Rouge regime is in decline behind the facade of the Potemkin village, and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. The regime is engaged in the process of identifying and targeting individuals for persecution and elimination on a large scale, in contravention of international humanitarian law. As observed by the journalists, the idyllic scene begins to unravel, gradually exposing the atrocities that have taken place. As a result of the circumstances they encounter, their journey becomes increasingly fraught with difficulties and distress.

The film was first exhibited at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2024, where it was included in the Official Selection category. The film has been released in cinemas in Cambodia since 9 August 2024 and is still showing.

With regard to the film in question, namely "MEETING WITH POL POT", it should be noted that the director, production and distribution were all undertaken by Anupheap Production and CDP. Furthermore, the filming was conducted entirely within the borders of the Kingdom of Cambodia. The production team includes Catherine Dussart, Rithy Panh, Justine O., Roger Huang, Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Hanaa Issa, Mehmet Zahid Sobaci, Muhammed Ziyad Varol, Mirsad Purivatra, Jovan Marjanović and Georges-Marc Benamou.

On 9 August 2024, the Cambodian distributor Westec Media released the film in Cambodian cinemas for the first commercial release with English subtitles. Playtime is responsible for international sales. Rithy Panh is a director and producer who was born in Cambodia and has resided intermittently in France and Cambodia. In 2014, Rithy Panh was nominated for an Academy Award for his film "The Missing Picture," which received the top award in the Un Certain Regard section at the 66th Festival de Cannes. With each subsequent work, he remains dedicated to a singular objective: honouring the memory of the victims of his homeland.

The film received support from the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée, Canal +, Ciné +, Taicca, Doha Film Institute, OIF, LBPI LHB x An Attitude, TRT Sinema, Obala Art Centar, Q.L. GROUP, Wing Bank, Kulara, Vattanac and Advanced Bank of Asia.