Oscars: Cambodia Selects Angelina Jolie's 'First They Killed My Father' for Foreign-Language Category

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The film was a passion project for Jolie, who holds dual citizenship in Cambodia and adopted one of her children from the country.

It's official: Angelina Jolie's fourth film as a director, First They Killed My Father, is Cambodia's submission for the best foreign-language film Oscar at the 90th Academy Awards.

 

"This means a great deal to all of us involved in making the film," Jolie said in a statement in response to the news. "To work with local artists to bring this story forward has been a moving and humbling experience," she added. 

 

First They Killed My Father was fully financed and produced by Netflix. The film is an adaptation of a memoir by Cambodian writer Loung Ung about her childhood experience of surviving the atrocities of the Khmer Rouge genocide. Untrained child actor Sareum Srey Moch has won rave reviews for her portrayal of the lead.

 

The Cambodia Oscar Selection Committee announced its pick Monday, saying: "First They Killed My Father explores a tragic period of history through the eyes of a child. Dialogue is at a minimum and it works well with the story told through intense cinematic images. Committee members as well as the Khmer community found the film to be cathartic, as it brought back memories often best forgotten."

 

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