NYFF AT 51 REVIEW: "THE MISSING PICTURE"
BY LIZ WHITTEMORE
We sit in history class, most of us eyes glazed over, taking for granted what our forefathers experienced. We are bored. Most of us don’t care. Though is we are wise, we recall the old saying, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” THE MISSING PICTURE (L’IMAGE MANQUANTE) is a history lesson. Writer and director Rithy Panh, was 11 years old when he and his family were forced to leave their home by the Khmer Rouge in 1975. Horrific refugee camps were created. The people were lied to, brainwashed, told they were going to be a new people for a new Cambodia. With a Maoist China design, the people were instructed to hand dig irrigation systems based on 11th century models, hauling dirt and rocks in baskets from morning until night. Their clothes were dyed black, their hair cut, shoes taken. Communist mantras played on a loop throughout the day turned the individual into empty vessels. The people were starved and killed at the whim of the regime leaders. Rithy watched his entire family parish in the camps. If was not until 1979, that he was able to flee to bordering Thailand.
This unbelievable film is told in a unique fashion. Rithy uses hundreds of hand carved clay figures, archival video and photographs to retell his story. All supported by his incredible narration, we are treated to a history lesson that seems like one endless day after another. How he survived in such conditions is a mystery we as viewers may never fully be able to grasp. As a child, he was forced to bury to dead. People he knew. People he didn’t. He saw the humanity of his fellow refugees fall away. The use of music in this film is extraordinary. Marc Marder, a friend of Panh for over 20 years, creates a beautiful backdrop for the still and moving parts to this masterpiece. During the entire film, we are treated to the real time work of the sculptor, Sarith Mang. He paints each figure with care and a steady hand. Each possessing a small life of it’s own. The Missing Picture is a privilege to watch. It will leave you with a longing to learn more of the atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge. For we must learn from our past. It is our duty.
VERDICT: Must See
Written and Directed by: Rithy Panh Country: France/Cambodia Language: English Running Time: 92 minutes
BOTTOM LINE: The Missing Picture will stay with you long after you’ve left the theater. You will experience a piece of art and learn more than you ever bargained for.