From 1975 to 1979, Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge orchestrated the deaths of 1.7 million Cambodians – a quarter of the country's population, victims of one of the twentieth century's most horrific genocides. This film examines the life of Pol Pot, the enigmatic leader of the Khmer Rouge, known for his constant smile and deep secrecy. It asks: What motivated him to carry out such a drastic plan against his own people? How did the Khmer Rouge transform from nationalist revolutionaries into a brutal killing force? And why did the world fail to intervene? As the International Tribunal in Cambodia brings the remaining Khmer Rouge leaders to justice, the film compels us to confront the devastating legacy of Pol Pot.
