‘Meeting With Pol Pot’ by Rithy Panh Lands North American Deal

Strand Releasing has acquired all North American rights to Rithy Panh’s “Meeting With Pol Pot” which world premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and represents Cambodia in the international feature film race.

Sold by Playtime, the film is based on real events chronicled by American war journalist Elizabeth Becker in her book “When the War Was Over: Cambodia and The Khmer Rouge Revolution.”

The film, which stars Irene Jacob as Becker, charts the deadly journey of two journalists and an academic who travel to Democratic Kampuchea in the midst of Pol Pot’s dictatorship after accepting an invitation from the regime. The cast is completed by Gregoire Colin and Cyril Guei.

It marks the fourth collaboration between Panh and Strand Releasing who previously teamed on “The Missing Pictures” which went on to earn an Oscar nomination in 2013, followed by “Exile” and “Irradiated” which premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2020.

Panh recently travelled to tour a retrospective of his films at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and the BAM Pacific Film Archives in Berkeley, California.

“We’re thrilled to be working again with Playtime and Rithy on this important film,” said Strand Releasing’s Jon Gerrans who negotiated the deal with Nicolas Brigaud-Robert from Playtime.

“The fact that it memorializes such an important historical account of Elizabeth Becker’s harrowing meeting with Pol Pot is a testament to Rithy’s continuation to his work to document the atrocities that affected his country,” Gerrans continued. Strand plans for a spring 2025 release.

Panh said “Meeting With Pol Pot” is not just a film about the past, but a call for reflection on our humanity.” The filmmaker said he aspired “to give voice to those who have suffered and been forgotten.”

“Strand has been our partner on Rithy Panh for over a decade,” said Brigaud-Robert. “I want to stress that releasing Rithy’s movies in the U.S. is an act of social consciousness. Marcus Hu and Jon Gerrans are not only wise business men, but feel the film industry has a political responsibility in recounting history for terror and fascism not to repeat itself anywhere in the world,” Brigaud-Robert continued.

Strand Releasing’s current slate of releases include Marco Calvani’s “High Tide,” Ray Yeung’s “All Shall Be Well” and Christophe Honore’s “Marcello Mio.”