Logo of Phnom Penh Post newspaper Phnom Penh Post - First They Killed My Father in the running for Oscar nomination

First They Killed My Father in the running for Oscar nomination

A screenshot from Angelina Jolie and Rithy Panh’s First They Killed My Father, which has been nominated as Cambodia’s entry for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Film category. Photo supplied
A screenshot from Angelina Jolie and Rithy Panh’s First They Killed My Father, which has been nominated as Cambodia’s entry for the Oscar’s Best Foreign Film category. Photo supplied

First They Killed My Father in the running for Oscar nomination

A Cambodian film may have its best chance yet at Oscars recognition, with the country’s submission for Best Foreign Film – Angelina Jolie and Rithy Panh’s First They Killed My Father – accepted for consideration.

The movie, which has been streaming on Netflix since last month with a limited release in theatres in Cambodia and the United States, and on the festival circuit in North America, is an adaptation of Loung Ung’s harrowing story of her family’s experience under the Khmer Rouge.

The film is among 92 currently under consideration in the category. The list will be whittled down to a handful of entries later this year, before the final nominees are decided in January 2018.

Among other requirements, “the submitting country must certify that creative control of the motion picture was largely in the hands of citizens or residents of that country”, according to the Oscars guidelines, and must also be in a language other than English.

Director and co-writer Jolie was granted honorary Cambodian citizenship in 2005, and the film was produced by Cambodian filmmaker Panh. It was also shot entirely in the Kingdom and in Khmer, and employed hundreds of locals.

Were the movie to win, the award would not go to Jolie or Panh but would be awarded to the country as a whole, under Academy rules.

After Cambodia selected the film as its Oscars submission on September 18, Ung issued a statement calling the news “emotional” and said the team was proud to “share this moment with the country”. Jolie added that the selection meant “a great deal” to everybody who participated.

“To work with local artists to bring this story forward has been a moving and humbling experience,” she wrote.

Khmer Rouge survivors react to First They Killed My Father:

MOST VIEWED

  • Ministry orders all schools, public and private, to close for SEA Games

    From April 20 to May 18, all public and private educational institutions will be closed to maintain order and support Cambodia's hosting of the 32nd SEA Games and 12th ASEAN Para Games, said a directive from the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport. Cambodia will host the

  • Almost 9K tourists see equinox sunrise at Angkor Wat

    Nearly 9,000 visitors – including 2,226 international tourists – gathered at Angkor Wat on March 21 to view the spring equinox sunrise, according to a senior official of the Siem Reap provinical tourism department. Ngov Seng Kak, director of the department, said a total of 8,726 people visited Angkor Wat to

  • Angkor Beer strengthens national pride with golden new look and fresher taste

    Angkor Beer – the "Gold of Angkor" – has a new look, one that is more stylish and carries a premium appeal, as well as a fresher taste and smoother flavour, making it the perfect choice for any gathering. Angkor Beer recently launched its new design, one

  • PM urges end to ‘baseless’ international Ream base accusations

    Prime Minister Hun Sen urges an end to “baseless” foreign accusations surrounding the development of the Kingdom’s Ream Naval Base, as the US has consistently suggested that the base is being expanded to accommodate a Chinese military presence. Hun Sen renewed his calls while

  • Khmer ballet documentary debuts April 1

    A new documentary, The Perfect Motion, or Tep Hattha in Khmer, will premiere to the public on April 1. The documentary film follows two intertwined storylines: the creation of a show called Metamorphosis by the late Princess Norodom Buppha Devi (her very last production) and the

  • Water supply authority assures public shortages over early ‘24

    The Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority (PPWSA) asked for understanding from Phnom Penh residents in some communes where water pressure is weak. They assured residents that all supply issues will be resolved by early 2024, but have suggested that residents use water sparingly in the meantime.