Voices & History
Explore and learn more about the stories behind the memorial.
The Killing Fields is a 1984 British biographical drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, which is based on the experiences of two journalists, Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg. It was directed by Roland Joffé and produced by David Puttnam. Sam Waterston stars as Schanberg, Haing S. Ngor as Pran, and John Malkovich as Al Rockoff.
“I'd heard about Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge, but didn't know much until I read it. I wrote to David saying that whoever made the film would have to be careful because it wasn't just a war story: it was about human connection, how friendships are born and what they do to us.”
—Director Roland Joffé
A Mayor’s Daughter
In 1975, the Khmer Rouge, a Cambodian guerrilla force determined to instate a communist regime, seized control of Cambodia, killing millions and capturing and enslaving millions more. A Mayor’s Daughter is the true story of one of the captured, a young woman named Ensayenna Chey, who had to conceal her identity to survive.
IMAGE AND BACKGROUND CREDIT (top to bottom)