Enemies of the People

The murderous reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia is the subject of this excellent documentary co-directed by Phnom Penh journalist Thet Sambath and British documentarian Rob Lemkin, which follows Sambath's effort to locate the people responsible for the deaths of his father, brother, and sister during Pol Pot's genocidal rule in the late 1970s. Drawing on tapes of interviews Sambath did over the period of a decade—starting with former militiamen who finally admitted their roles in the mass slaughter and moving up the chain of command to Nuon Chea, who was second only to Pol Pot—Enemies of the People quietly and poignantly paints a picture of a regime that cultivated mass murder in the service of a crazed ideological ideal, underscoring the horrendous toll on the Cambodian people. Supplementing the chillingly matter-of-fact interview excerpts is archival footage from 1975–79 and newly shot scenes of Sambath discussing his obsession with his project—closing with footage of Chea being taken for trial before a U.N. tribunal. Extensive DVD extras include audio commentaries by the directors and editor Stefan Ronowicz, a background featurette, deleted scenes, and more. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)