Tokyo International Film Festival 2025 | Hong Kong International Film Festival 2026 | Cinéma du Réel 2026
Special Jury Prize, Tokyo International Film Festival 2025
Rithy Panh returns to documentary filmmaking to tell the story of the Bunong, an Indigenous community in Cambodia whose culture and way of life are at risk of disappearing. A few families still live in the remote mountains, following their ancestral traditions. However, their lives are becoming increasingly difficult as international companies take over their land. Climate change also disrupts the seasons and affects farming. With less land available and the soil becoming less fertile, the community struggles to grow crops and preserve its traditional way of life. The film highlights their suffering and the urgent need to protect their heritage.
Born in Phnom Penh, Rithy Panh fled the Khmer Rouge genocide to Paris in 1980 and studied at IDHEC. His films include S21, the Oscar-nominated The Missing Picture and Irradiated. He co-founded Cambodia’s Bophana Centre and co-authored The Elimination.
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