The Missing Picture

The peaceful childhood of Rithy Pahn, the son of a teacher in Phnom Penh, is rocked by horror on April 17, 1975, the day the Khmer Rouge arrive in the Cambodian capital. Following the orders of Pol Pot, a left extremist ideologue who came to power through the support of the poor peasants, these fanatical soldiers emptied every city in the country in just a few hours, forcibly sending people to the fields and rice paddies. This reign of terror caused the deaths of nearly two million Cambodians within four years, including all the members of young Rithy’s family. Now a filmmaker, Rithy gives an account of this nightmarish period in the history of his country. But because he cannot find a photograph of mass murders committed by Pol Pot and his Khmer Rouge, the director strives to recreate the image using figurines and miniature sets.