The Killing Fields (film)

The Killing Fields is a 1984 British biographical drama film directed by Roland Joffé, depicting the experiences of two journalists, Dith Pran, a Cambodian interpreter, and Sydney Schanberg, an American reporter, during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia.

The film is based on Schanberg's 1980 New York Times Magazine article "The Death and Life of Dith Pran." It chronicles their close relationship and the harrowing ordeal Dith Pran endured to survive the Cambodian genocide.

Set against the backdrop of the Cambodian Civil War and the subsequent rise of the Khmer Rouge, The Killing Fields portrays the brutality and devastation inflicted upon the Cambodian people. After the Khmer Rouge seized power in 1975, all foreigners were ordered to leave the country. Schanberg secured Dith Pran's safety for a time, but Pran ultimately made the decision to stay behind to aid his family. He then endured years of forced labor, starvation, and constant fear of execution within the Khmer Rouge's brutal agrarian society. Meanwhile, Schanberg, haunted by guilt and determined to find Pran, tirelessly searches for him.

The Killing Fields stars Sam Waterston as Sydney Schanberg and Haing S. Ngor, a Cambodian doctor who had himself survived the Khmer Rouge regime, as Dith Pran. Ngor's performance earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The film garnered critical acclaim and won three Academy Awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing, in addition to Ngor's acting award. It is remembered for its powerful depiction of war, friendship, and survival amidst unimaginable horrors. The film helped to raise international awareness of the Cambodian genocide.