Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund Films Recognized

The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund is proud to have supported Enemies of the People and The Oath, which have been featured in several film festivals to great acclaim.

Enemies of the People

by Rob Lemkin and Thet Sambath, was a 2009 recipient of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund. Enemies of the People made its world premiere at the 2009 International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).  The film's US premiere followed at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the World Cinema Special Jury Prize: Documentary.  It won the Annie Dellinger Grand Jury Prize and the Charles Guggenheim Emerging Artist Award at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival and most recently was awarded the  2010 Nestor Almendros Award for courage in filmmaking by the Human Rights Watch International Film Festival. Please refer to the film's website for more information about upcoming screenings.

Despite the ongoing tribunals, the Khmer Rouge-perpetrated genocide in Cambodia remains an unsettling chapter of history for the country. Enemies of the People follows journalist Thet Sambath's efforts to befriend the Khmer Rouge's grassroots killers and chief officers, gaining remarkably intimate access to their stories.  He uncovers terrifying personal explanations for the genocide by allowing the perpetrators to speak for themselves. Given that his parents were among the approximately two million people who perished under the Khmer Rouge regime, Thet's dedication to reconciling the past with the present takes on even greater weight.

At the True/False Film Fest, Enemies of the People was named the 2010 True Life Fund Film, and with the aid of many community partners and festival-goers, True/False will attempt to raise over $10,000 to aid Thet Sambath's ongoing project in Cambodia. We encourage you to make a donation in support of these efforts.

The Oath

by Laura Poitras, received support from the inaugural round of the Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund, in 2008. The Oath made its world premiere at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, where it received the Excellence in Cinematography Award: Documentary, recognizing the work of Kirsten Johnson and Laura Poitras.  Recently, the film was featured at this year's Berlin Film Festival and at the True/False Film Fest, where Poitras was honored with the True Vision Award. Recently, it was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival. 

Filmed in Yemen and Cuba, this dramatic study charts the divergent paths of two men whose personal relationship as brothers-in-law would later be eclipsed by their individual associations with Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda. By looking at their lives in the wake of September 11th, The Oath navigates the spaces between declared principles and choices made, as well as their repercussions.

The Oath begins its nationwide theatrical release on May 7th, distributed by Zeitgeist Films.

Learn more at The Oath's website, and watch this short New York Times video interview with Poitras.