‘It is with deep humility and gratitude that I stand before you tonight, at this powerful crossroads of memory and hope, 50 years after the fall of Phnom Pehn, to pay tribute to a nation that has turned pain into progress, loss into learning and memory into future,’ said Victoria Boussis - director of the VR documentary Stay Alive My Son - on Friday at the opening gala of the 14th Film Festival.
'It's more than a commemoration,’ continued Ms Boussis, ’it's a homecoming. A time to reclaim history, not as something distant, but as something that lives within us - a choice we make. It is also my return to a country that I have grown to love deeply. I first came to Cambodia over ten years ago, drawn by its timeless beauty and the warmth of its people. Walking among the ancient stones of Angkor Wat, I felt the echoes of a sophisticated civilisation. A people who have built wonders, endured tragedies and yet continued to rise again and again. It was in a small bookshop near this sacred temple that I discovered another story, not engraved in stone, but written in the words of a father who had lost everything.’
‘Stay Alive My Son , written by Yathay Pin, is more than a memoir. It is a plea, a plea to remember, to learn and to ensure that no one suffers again as millions of Cambodians have.’
‘It's also a universal and human story: a family forcibly separated, a country divided, impossible choices - tragedies that echo in today's world. This truth touched my heart and reinforced my admiration for the Cambodian people.’
‘It was your resilience and spirit that inspired me to share this story with the world. Yathay, your book changed my life. Fifty years ago, Cambodia experienced one of the darkest chapters in its modern history. Efforts were deliberately made to erase the past: books were burnt, culture dismantled, schools turned into prisons. The survivors bore the burden of memory in silence, and the next generation grew up with the feeling that something was missing, without ever really knowing - not in the classroom, not in the home, not between generations. Even today, the details remain unspoken, a disconnect between the generations.’
‘This return to the country made me wonder about healing: can we really heal what has never been fully shared? As a filmmaker and technologist, I believe that stories have the power to heal. Technology brings the past into the present, bridging what silence has divided.’
Stay Alive My Son is not just a traditional film, it's a virtual reality experience. Virtual reality allows the audience to enter the story, not as a distant spectator, but as a participant in the change. It transforms the abstract story into something deeply personal and tangible, so that we can not only see it, but also feel it. During this incredible journey of screening Stay Alive My Son in 27 countries, at major film festivals, technology conferences, universities and global policy summits, I have witnessed something extraordinary: a young and intrepid generation in search of answers. Fifty years ago, millions of people had no choice.
But today, for the first time, thanks to technology, young Cambodians will have the opportunity to make history, to stand at the same crossroads as so many Cambodians, to feel the weight of difficult choices and to ask themselves:
‘What would I have done? They can choose: compassion rather than indifference, courage rather than fear, remembrance rather than silence. Because learning is powerful and healing. It is with deep humility that I bring Stay Alive My Son to the people and youth of Cambodia who inspired its creation.’
‘I would like to express my deepest gratitude to His Excellency Dr Phoeurng Sackona, Minister of Culture and Fine Arts, for preserving arts and culture. The Cambodia International Film Festival, Cedric Eloy and his team, and the countless volunteers for their unfailing support. Rosewood Phnom Penh, for their warm hospitality and breathtaking views of this vibrant city.'
'My brilliant actors (Elodie Yung, Arnold Chun, Kostas Filippoglou, Vincent Rodriguez, Abraham Sigler and Lucas Sigler), whose talent and depth brought Yathay's family to life. My tireless team at UME Studios, who pushed the boundaries of their craft.’
‘And finally, to Yathay Pin - dearest Thay, you are an incredible human being whom I have had the privilege of knowing for ten years now - we finally did it together. Thank you for your trust, your courage and for showing the world that even in the darkest of times, the human spirit prevails. After CIFF, Stay Alive My Son will continue its journey to be permanently housed at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Resource Centre, so that future generations - here and around the world - can experience this story first-hand. Because history is not something that can simply be erased. Human life cannot be erased. And the future belongs to those who have the courage to confront the past and heal so that no human story is ever silenced or erased again.’
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