“Angkor Awakens: A Portrait of Cambodia” is an eye-opening snapshot of a nation poised at a political and cultural tipping point. Viewing the present through the lens of the country’s tangled history, the film follows the people of Cambodia as they fight to recover their culture and history in the wake of the Khmer Rouge genocide (1975-1979).Though the legacy of past violence and present-day repression lives on, it is counterbalanced by the hopes and aspirations of Cambodia’s new generation. “Angkor Awakens” is built around intimate interviews— including an unprecedented appearance by Cambodia’s Strongman/Prime Minister Hun Sen. Containing stunning footage of the country, this film provides a window into the lives of one of Asia's youngest populations as it seeks to leave behind its brutal past.The film examines Nixon and Kissinger’s secret bombing of Cambodia which set the stage for the rise of the Khmer Rouge.“Angkor Awakens” is directed by Robert H. Lieberman. He is a bestselling novelist, award winning filmmaker (“They call it Myanmar,” “Last Stop Kew Gardens”), and a long-time member of the Cornell University Physics faculty. It is Lieberman’s background as a child of the Holocaust that has led him to explore the effects of the genocide on today’s young Cambodians. Director's Statement. A personal message from Robert:As a child of the Holocaust, I was initially drawn to Cambodia because I was curious to see if there were any lingering effects of the Khmer Rouge genocide in today’s young people. I was determined not to make a doom and gloom movie. Rather, I wanted to provide a sweeping portrait of the country, its people and history, its politics and psychology. Of course there was no way to avoid Cambodia’s darkest period. I got lucky and got a two-hour, eyeball-to-eyeball interview with Hun Sen, Cambodia’s strongman/prime minister who never gives interviews. Rather than using a crew in Cambodia, I shot the 149 interviews recording the sound by myself and using only available lighting. It allowed people to be comfortable enough to share their most intimate thoughts. My intention is that this be a story of hope and recovery told through the Cambodian people— the young and old, artists and teachers, politicians and just plain ordinary people. Having lived through the Vietnam war, I was forced to come to grips with Nixon and Kissinger’s secret bombing and incursion into this neutral country that helped set the stage for the rise of the Khmer Rouge. It strikes me that in the present political climate the film has an immediacy that makes the story today as relevant as ever. Our production team’s hope is that this film will build on the major success of our previous film They Call It Myanmar.