The official trailer for First They Killed My Father, a film directed by Angelina Jolie, is here. The unflinching film is based on a true story following a little girl, Loung Ung, as she and her family are torn apart by Khmer Rouge, a communist party who committed mass genocide in which an estimated two million Cambodians died.
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The trailer begins by showing Loung's comfortable family life before Khmer Rouge took control of the country. It then goes on to reveal the devastating effects of the genocide, and how Loung managed to survive the 'killing fields' where countless innocent victims were executed. Speaking at the world premiere for the film, which will be released on Netflix later this year, Angelina said: "I cannot find words to express what it means to me that I was entrusted with telling part of the story of this country."
She continued: "This film was not made to focus on the horrors of the past, but to celebrate the resilience, kindness and talent of the Cambodian people. Most of all, this film is my way of saying thank you to Cambodia. Without Cambodia I may never have become a mother. Part of my heart is and will always be in this country. And part of this country is always with me: Maddox."
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Angelina directed the upcoming release
Angelina has also clarified controversy surrounding the audition process to find children to play the main roles. In a statement to The Huffington Post, she said: "I am upset that a pretend exercise in an improvisation, from an actual scene in the film, has been written about as if it was a real scenario. The suggestion that real money was taken from a child during an audition is false and upsetting. I would be outraged myself if this had happened… Every measure was taken to ensure the safety, comfort and well-being of the children on the film, starting from the audition through production to the present."
