Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia

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Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia

Released May 5, 2017

1h 30m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

93%

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14 Reviews

80%

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50+ Ratings

Cambodians reflect on their history and culture, from the ancient glories of the Angkor Kingdom to today's society. They are one of Asia's youngest populations, hoping to heal and rebuild.

Tom Keogh

Seattle Times

A riveting and illuminating documentary about the rise of the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s and how its shockingly mad and bloody legacy continues to impact Cambodia today.

Rated: 4/4

May 24, 2017

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Walter V. Addiego

San Francisco Chronicle

Robert H. Lieberman's new documentary on Cambodia shows us a nation struggling to move beyond horrific events that took place almost half a century ago.

Rated: 3/4

May 18, 2017

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Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

[Angkor Awakens] is a comprehensive and compelling film that does justice to the anguished history of Cambodia, focusing on the devastation wrought by the Pol Pot regime and the Khmer Rouge right up to the present.

Rated: A-

May 12, 2017

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Erin Blackwell

Bay Area Reporter

The movie is not a disinterested or critical history, but a backgrounder for investors and other global mercenaries.

Jun 8, 2020

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Anita Katz

San Francisco Examiner

The commentary of these and other survivors and their descendants makes the sometimes dry documentary illuminating and often affecting.

Rated: 3/4

May 24, 2017

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Andrea Chase

Killer Movie Reviews

This is a stunningly powerful essay on politics and people that is gut-wrenching, indispensable viewing.

Rated: 4/5

May 20, 2017

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Audience Member

Angkor Awakens is a valuable but uncomfortable watch that brings the viewer deep into the ground level, human experience of the Cambodian genocide. The interviews with survivors are harrowing, driving home the reality of this fairly recent atrocity. If you are considering traveling to Cambodia- I would consider this an essential watch for understanding the people and country that exists today. I appreciated the filmmakers decision to often substitute artwork of the atrocity rather than showing gratuitous photographs- combined with the descriptions of survivors this got the horror of the situation across, while making the material more accessible for a wider audience.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

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Audience Member

I really love and appreciate this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Audience Member

Had decent intentions and covers a subject that needs to be more widely covered and understood. Derivative in focus and lacked a sense of technicality and cohesion. Felt like a forced release just so it could come out before any events would have trivialized it's existence or purpose.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

s r

Technically not the best, but certainly the content made up for it. Cambodia is a complicated place, but there is a positive outlook. You could feel the makers' love Cambodia and their hope for the future.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Robert H. Lieberman

Director

Sam Rainsy

Actor

Richard Solomon

Actor

Hun Sen

Actor

Andrew Mertha

Actor

Tioulong Saumura

Actor

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Synopsis

Cambodians reflect on their history and culture, from the ancient glories of the Angkor Kingdom to today's society. They are one of Asia's youngest populations, hoping to heal and rebuild.

Director: Robert H. Lieberman
Producer: Robert H. Lieberman, Deborah C. Hoard
Distributor: Journeyman Pictures
Production Co: PhotoSynthesis Productions
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 5, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 14, 2017
Runtime: 1h 30m

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