Killing Fields’ to show in Bangkok
Organisers of the Thailand International Film Destination Festival, which gets underway on Friday (July 21) at Paragon Cineplex, have announced a change to the programme of films being screened.
The 1984 biographical drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia ,“The Killing Fields”, will replace Oliver Stone’s epic “Alexander”. The other four films in the line-up are as originally advertised, namely the 1974 spy thriller, “James Bond: The Man With The Golden Gun,” the multi-award winning “The Deer Hunter” released in 1978, “Air America” (1990) and “Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason”
Set in Vietnam and Cambodia, “The Killing Fields” is based on the experience of New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) who is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran (Haing S Ngor) and American photojournalist Al Rockoff (John Malkovich). When the US Army pulls out amid escalating violence, Schanberg makes exit arrangements for Pran and his family. Pran, however, tells Schanberg he intends to stay in Cambodia to help cover the unfolding story – a decision he may regret as the Khmer Rouge rebels move in. The film also chronicles Dith Pran’s experiences when he was arrested and his escape to the refugee camps at the Thailand-Cambodia border.
Thailand doubled for both Vietnam and Cambodia in the movie.
The film received eight Oscar nominations and won three including Best Supporting Actor for Haing S Ngor. Ngor was shot dead outside his home in Chinatown, in downtown Los Angeles, California in 1996.
The festival runs until next Tuesday (July 25). Admission is free but advance reservation is recommended.
Visit www.ThailandFilmDestination.com for reservations and the schedule.
