Film Review, "First They Killed My Father"

As an AP United States History teacher, I have been looking for good films that depict the Cold War struggle in South East Asia. "First They Killed My Father" puts a true human face on the 1975 Cambodian struggle after the Khmer Rouge take over the country. I've often thought about the refugee issue surrounding the Vietnamese-Cambodian War and feel that my students would benefit from watching either pieces of this film or the whole film. Based on the book, "First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers" by Loung Ung, this film's strong commitment to storytelling and history would be great in contrast to the1984 British biographical drama "The Killing Fields."

I would definitely say that this film is better suited for more mature audiences due to the content and drama. I also think that students would benefit from reading some stories about the experience and learning the history behind the conflict.