DIRECTOR: Rithy Panh
STARRING: Irene Jacob, Gregoire Colin, Cyril Guei
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 47 minutes
LANGUAGE: French, Khmer
Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country.
***
Rithy Panh is a French-Cambodian director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, writer and actor and his latest film is Meeting with Pol Pot. This is the fourth time that he has been submitted for Cambodia: Rice People (1994), The Missing Picture (2013), Graves Without a Name (2018) and now Meeting With Pol Pot. He was nominated for an Oscar for The Missing Picture. His latest film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and has since been released in theatres across France and Cambodia.
The Cambodia Oscar Selection Committee (COSC) announced that Meeting With Pol Pot will be their submission after not announcing any film last year.
The film is produced by Anupheap Productions and Catherine Dussart Productions.
Meeting with Pol Pot is a drama and it was filmed in Cambodia and France.
To check out all previous submissions for Cambodia, click HERE.
STARRING: Irene Jacob, Gregoire Colin, Cyril Guei
RUNNING TIME: 1 hr 47 minutes
LANGUAGE: French, Khmer
Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime's leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country.
***
Rithy Panh is a French-Cambodian director, film producer, screenwriter, editor, writer and actor and his latest film is Meeting with Pol Pot. This is the fourth time that he has been submitted for Cambodia: Rice People (1994), The Missing Picture (2013), Graves Without a Name (2018) and now Meeting With Pol Pot. He was nominated for an Oscar for The Missing Picture. His latest film made its worldwide debut at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and has since been released in theatres across France and Cambodia.
The Cambodia Oscar Selection Committee (COSC) announced that Meeting With Pol Pot will be their submission after not announcing any film last year.
The film is produced by Anupheap Productions and Catherine Dussart Productions.
Meeting with Pol Pot is a drama and it was filmed in Cambodia and France.
To check out all previous submissions for Cambodia, click HERE.
FILM REVIEW:
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Better to imagine an absence of men rather than imperfect men.”
Rithy Panh’s Meeting With Pol Pot is an evocative, meticulously crafted historical drama that captures the unsettling reality of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge through the experiences of three French journalists in 1978. Based on Elizabeth Becker’s seminal account, When The War Was Over, Panh fictionalizes the journey of these journalists, who are lured by the promise of an interview with Pol Pot. What unfolds is both a tense political thriller and a poignant exploration of propaganda, ideology, and the price of truth. Panh's film is a powerful reminder of cinema’s ability to reveal dark chapters in history while honoring the individuals who risked everything to uncover them.
Irene Jacob, Grégoire Colin, and Cyril Guei deliver outstanding performances as the fictionalized reporters, Lisa Delbo, Alain Cariou, and Paul Thomas, each representing a unique viewpoint in their pursuit of the truth. Jacob’s portrayal of Delbo is marked by curiosity and moral clarity, while Colin’s Alain, with ties to Pol Pot’s inner circle, embodies the complexity of political sympathy and complicity. Guei’s Thomas, a tenacious photographer, brings a grounded realism to the story, reflecting the ethical struggles of those who witnessed the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities firsthand. Together, the trio forms a compelling ensemble, depicting the tensions that arise between self-preservation and a commitment to truth.
Visually, the film is stunning, as cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski crafts a foreboding, humid atmosphere that reflects the oppressive regime the journalists find themselves trapped in. The use of archival footage and superimposed images provides glimpses of the real horrors inflicted upon Cambodians, grounding Panh’s narrative in historical fact. A particularly inspired device is the use of clay miniatures, subtle at first, but increasingly sinister as they symbolize the regime's desire to rewrite history. These creative visual techniques bring a layered, visceral depth to the film that enhances its realism and emotional weight.
The soundtrack, composed by Marc Marder, complements the film's suspenseful tone, adding layers of unease as the journalists face carefully staged encounters and state-controlled tours. From eerily silent meals to tense interactions with fearful locals, the sound design intensifies the sense of confinement and the ominous control the regime exerts over every aspect of their visit. Panh’s direction masterfully weaves these sensory elements, building suspense as the journalists edge closer to uncovering the realities behind the regime's propaganda and the imminent dangers they face.
Meeting With Pol Pot is a deeply affecting, haunting work of art that highlights Rithy Panh’s gift for blending truth and fiction in service of historical memory. Through its tight pacing, authentic portrayals, and thought-provoking symbolism, the film offers a stirring examination of the moral complexities of journalism and the dangers of unchecked power. Panh’s commitment to bearing witness to Cambodia’s painful past continues to resonate in this powerful film, making it not only a riveting cinematic experience but an essential contribution to historical storytelling.
(This review contains spoilers.)
“Better to imagine an absence of men rather than imperfect men.”
Rithy Panh’s Meeting With Pol Pot is an evocative, meticulously crafted historical drama that captures the unsettling reality of Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge through the experiences of three French journalists in 1978. Based on Elizabeth Becker’s seminal account, When The War Was Over, Panh fictionalizes the journey of these journalists, who are lured by the promise of an interview with Pol Pot. What unfolds is both a tense political thriller and a poignant exploration of propaganda, ideology, and the price of truth. Panh's film is a powerful reminder of cinema’s ability to reveal dark chapters in history while honoring the individuals who risked everything to uncover them.
Irene Jacob, Grégoire Colin, and Cyril Guei deliver outstanding performances as the fictionalized reporters, Lisa Delbo, Alain Cariou, and Paul Thomas, each representing a unique viewpoint in their pursuit of the truth. Jacob’s portrayal of Delbo is marked by curiosity and moral clarity, while Colin’s Alain, with ties to Pol Pot’s inner circle, embodies the complexity of political sympathy and complicity. Guei’s Thomas, a tenacious photographer, brings a grounded realism to the story, reflecting the ethical struggles of those who witnessed the Khmer Rouge’s atrocities firsthand. Together, the trio forms a compelling ensemble, depicting the tensions that arise between self-preservation and a commitment to truth.
Visually, the film is stunning, as cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski crafts a foreboding, humid atmosphere that reflects the oppressive regime the journalists find themselves trapped in. The use of archival footage and superimposed images provides glimpses of the real horrors inflicted upon Cambodians, grounding Panh’s narrative in historical fact. A particularly inspired device is the use of clay miniatures, subtle at first, but increasingly sinister as they symbolize the regime's desire to rewrite history. These creative visual techniques bring a layered, visceral depth to the film that enhances its realism and emotional weight.
The soundtrack, composed by Marc Marder, complements the film's suspenseful tone, adding layers of unease as the journalists face carefully staged encounters and state-controlled tours. From eerily silent meals to tense interactions with fearful locals, the sound design intensifies the sense of confinement and the ominous control the regime exerts over every aspect of their visit. Panh’s direction masterfully weaves these sensory elements, building suspense as the journalists edge closer to uncovering the realities behind the regime's propaganda and the imminent dangers they face.
Meeting With Pol Pot is a deeply affecting, haunting work of art that highlights Rithy Panh’s gift for blending truth and fiction in service of historical memory. Through its tight pacing, authentic portrayals, and thought-provoking symbolism, the film offers a stirring examination of the moral complexities of journalism and the dangers of unchecked power. Panh’s commitment to bearing witness to Cambodia’s painful past continues to resonate in this powerful film, making it not only a riveting cinematic experience but an essential contribution to historical storytelling.
