Chorn Torn

A Buddhist monk tries to preach non-violence to the Khmum-Chachak rebels and the National Army, who are in the midst of a civil war that can dangerously affect innocent civilians.

This is a movie from Cambodia and it was actually directed by King Norodom Sihanouk, the king of Cambodia. It depicts the events of 1975 that ended with the fall of Phnom Penh to the Khmer Rouge.

A poor, rural Cambodian family slowly disintegrates during the cycle of a single rice crop in this moving, and beautifully photographed European drama adapted from a novel by Shahnon Ahmad. Pouev, his wife Om, and his seven children, live in a small rural village in Cambodia. Their whole precarious life depends upon the success of their rice crop. Both husband and wife are worried, but for different reasons. Pouev is concerned because their acreage is shrinking. Om worries about Pouev; what would happen to her and the children if he died or was injured? Her worst fear is manifest after Pouev steps upon a poisoned thorn and dies. Om finds herself heavily burdened with the responsibilities of maintaining the crop and caring for seven youngsters. She suffers paranoia from worrying about whether the children are doing their share and the other villagers lock her up leaving eldest daughter Sokha to bring in the crop.