POL POT DANCING

In the organizer's words:

A dance journey into the darkest chapter of Cambodia's history.
Documentary and dance film, D/NOR 2023, written & directed by Enrique Sánchez Lansch, 101 minutes

In the royal palace of Cambodia, star dancer Chea Samy lovingly raises her husband's little brother as if he were her own son, sends him to the best schools and enables him to study in Paris. Years later, as a forced laborer under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, she learns that her foster son is none other than the dictator Pol Pot. Between 1975 and 1979, an estimated quarter of the Cambodian population was murdered under his leadership, and classical Cambodian dance was on the verge of extinction. Chea Samy survived, however, and dedicated herself to training hundreds of traumatized young girls to become dancers. She not only offers them a perspective, but also preserves a tradition that is deeply rooted in the culture from being forgotten. Today, this dance is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The dance and history documentary POL POT DANCING by successful director Enrique Sánchez Lansch (RYTHM IS IT!) tells the story of Pol Pot's career and reign, inextricably linked to classical Cambodian dance, on various temporal levels. The film combines never-before-seen archive footage from the 1920s to the 1990s, original interviews and choreographies that retell the story of Pol Pot, and goes in search of traces right up to the present day.

Documentary and dance film, D/NOR 2023, written & directed by Enrique Sánchez Lansch, 101 minutes