PHNOM PENH — The 14th Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) will include this year a program of Virtual Reality (VR) experiences entitled Khmer Rouge Memory.

Held from March 21 to 29 in Phnom Penh, the festival will present 151 films from 41 countries, among which 60 Cambodian films. 

The VR program will include “Stay Alive, My Son,” which is based on the book written by Pin Yathay and takes place during the Khmer Rouge regime. Starring French-Cambodian actress Elodie Yung, it was adapted into a VR experience by Victoria Bousis, cross-media director and creative technologist of UME Studios in California in United States. 

This VR experience presents in a 55-minute version the story told by Yathay, a Cambodian engineer who survived the Pol Pot regime. 

According to Cedric Eloy, founder and director of the Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) the festival’s Khmer Rouge Memory program is held to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge takeover in 1975. 

Films presented in the program “Through 1975–2025: From Darkness to Light in Cambodia’s Story” speak of the Khmer Rouge era and what followed. “We aim to educate the younger generations about the history and challenges faced by Cambodians during this dark period, helping to prevent such atrocities from being repeated,” Eloy said.

Among other films, the festival will present “Women Unbound: Stories from Every Corner,” a documentary highlighting the vital role of women and their ongoing advocacy to gain equality and justice. This film features women across the world, showcasing their tireless efforts toward achieving a more just and equal society.

The festival will also feature international fictions, documentaries and special programs such as Beautiful Planet: Southeast Asia Docs that will feature “Waters of Life,” the program CIFF for Family presenting animated short films, and a Special Focus on Environmental and Climate Change issues.

Admission is free to all films presented during the festival at major cinemas and special venues in Phnom Penh, which will include: Legend Cinema Olympia, Exchange Square, Major Cineplex Aeon 1, Mean Chey, the French Institute, the Bophana Center, Rosewood Hotel Phnom Penh, and the new Fable Cinema. 

For more information on the festival: https://cambodiaiff.com/