Now on DVD: Enemies of the People
2009 Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fundee Enemies of the People is now available on DVD after an amazing festival journey that included IDFA, Sundance and Human Rights Watch and a television premiere on PBS' acclaimed POV series. The film follows Cambodian journalist Thet Sambath (the documentary's co-director) as he elicits unprecedented on-camera confessions from perpetrators at all levels of the Khmer Rouge hierarchy.
Director/producer Rob Lemkin offers this story of a memorable screening of the film in California.
There was a difficult moment at our first community screening in Long Beach, CA. Several Killing Fields survivors left, whispering that they were expecting nightmares to visit them that night. I was there to present an offer from the Khmer Rouge perpetrators in our film: they were willing to "meet" by videoconference link, so long as the victims were prepared to engage in a meaningful dialogue.
My presentation was translated into Khmer by a man called Bo. His parents were killed by the Khmer Rouge and his baby sister was taken away never to return. Bo is a court translator in Los Angeles and his translation was very professional and dispassionate until suddenly he stopped. He turned to me and said "Why should we talk to these killers? They destroyed our lives. Why don't they just kill themselves? I'm sorry, I can't translate anymore." And he rushed out.
It seemed like our film was having a pointlessly destructive effect -- so far from what we had ever intended. Our dialogue process was undertaken with several Khmerican community groups. Most people still wanted to continue what we had started. So, more meetings were held in the following days. Bo came back to one of them and felt encouraged by the community support.
A week later he translated and participated in the videoconference. He asked a very unsettling question about Khoun and Suon's cannibalism (in the film they admit to eating their victims’ gall bladders; you can see Bo's questions and their answer in the DVD extras of our new Special Edition).
Bo and I met up again a few months later. He told me that with time he had come to feel the film and dialogue had been positive: "It has enabled me to face my deepest nightmares." For the first time since his childhood Bo was dealing with real people rather than imaginary monsters -- which is what the Khmer Rouge had become over time.
Bo has become a good friend. His family hosted Thet Sambath and his wife on our tour last Fall. He took part in several events on that tour. After a very rocky start, his response to the film has been just the kind of catharsis we could only dream of when we were making it.
Find out more about Enemies of the People at the film's official site, where you can also buy the film.
