What Did the Khmer Rouge Want Us to See? Unpacking the Official Narrative in Their Propaganda Films
Present by Tomyo Costa Ito, a FAPESP Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of São Paulo (USP), researching Khmer Rouge propaganda films through fieldwork in Cambodian archives
Drawing on the vital archives of the Bophana Center, this presentation analyzes the propaganda films of the Khmer Rouge. It investigates their visual language and narrative structures to understand how the regime built an idealized image of its revolution, in stark contrast to its reality. By combining close film analysis with extrafilmic sources—such as documents, photographs, and revolutionary publications—this talk illuminates the production of these films and their role in constructing the regime’s official narrative.
Thursday, October 2nd, 2025, at 6:00 PM, Bophana Center.
