I wish the people who disliked this documentary have a chance to watch it til the end. The documentary is such a beautiful, heart touching, emotional and educational film. It represents many Cambodian families during difficult times and Vanna’s family is one of them. Vanna has shared an important piece of his family’s story for the next generation to get some perspective on how hard life is during that time. And I am glad that he managed to capture his family’s story to share with all of us before he is gone. It is sad to know that Vanna has passed away. May Vanna Rest In Peace and I hope his family heal from the past as well.
Chan C I think the same brother this documentary is great and it’s good for us to learn how far our family has come, he did great with this documentary.
I think some viewers gave thump downs due to the fact the documentary spent about 1 hour and 10 minutes before showing Khao I Dang. It seems more appropriate to spend more time showing K.I.D itself. Yes, it's sad and messed up that Vanna died. Parents and old people should die before their children. Sometimes, life is so screwed up.
I had to pause the video to get a grip of myself. This documentary is very powerful and emotional at the same time. My family and i when through the same ordeal during Pol Pot regime. We were also station in Battambong Province. I never had the chance to meet my dad family side. He loss his mom, dad and 7 of his sibling during this horrific time. I will never forgive or forget what'd happened to my country, never let history repeat itself. Thank you Vanna Seang and his families for this documentary. RIP my brother..your message will live on.
Please learn to forgive because forgiveness does not mean letting others off the hook. Forgiveness is for the forgiver to be able to let go of the injustice that was perpetrated on them and properly heal. However, never forgetting is something everyone should do so that these stories are never lost.
This film, opened up my parents to share more of their past. My mother had PTSD from the genocide, and doctors Keep giving her medications, which I am not a fan of.... but by encouraging my mother to open up and sharing her experiences, helps release those suppressed emotions. Thank you Vanna and family for this very touching film, we really enjoyed it. Films like these teaches us how precious life is... thus, we can find more gratitude in our lives everyday. RIP Vanna, you’ve fulfilled your life’s purpose and your legacy will be remembered. ❤️🙏🙏🙏
I dont mean to be off topic but does any of you know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account?? I was stupid lost the account password. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me!
OMG I was in Khao-I-Dang during the same exact years. We were the “RC”, the last legal group in “Annex 2”. I could have been their neighbor. My family settled in Long Beach, California, in 1988. I am 11 years older than Vanna. I am a living witness of their story. It is as real as it can be from his parents memories. One of many sad events in the camp, that was not told in the firm, was when the bad guys with guns, came into our camp, almost weekly, to robbed us. I am sorry for the Seang family that Vanna is gone from us so soon. I don’t know him, but from the firm, it seems like he was a very kind, soft soul, funny, caring person. This firm is much better than many high dollar Hollywood movies. Thank you for sharing.
World needs to know about refugees getting robbed, raped and murdered in these camps! Predominantly it was Thai's coming in doing it. And it was done to young small children as well! Than arrival in Amerikkka wasn't so great in most urban communities.. This type of trauma is not forgotten and children of the killing fields have grown up enduring a lifetime of struggle till today!
@@neathhnuii6532 luck, guts, common sense, foraging for food when possible, some artillery and the civilians Khmer Serey(Khmer Freedom). This was after the Vietnamese invasion... look into the Khmer Serey I think was headed by a 17yr old. My family, dad, grandfather's and uncles at times had AK47, M16 and RPGs. Prior to the fall of Cambodia, the non communist party gave out AKs, M16 to every head of household. During the Khmer Rouge regime, they tricked and confiscated guns. My family along with others would turn some guns in and hide some. Many families weren't as fortunate as mine though. Both my parents and all my siblings survived! Most Khmers had no resources to food and protection. Battambong was the last strong hold of non communist Cambodia, which has long history of families in the army. It's in the northern region, and that's why we fled to Thailand (formerly Khmer Land). Most of the Cambodians that fled after 1975 are from Battambong. Till today I see the horrors of war, sometimes a helicopter can trigger trauma from when I was a child.
@@neathhnuii6532 through the world sponsoring program. You enlist your entire family on the world sponsors list. In your form you choose which of the countries you would like go live in. Then they interview your entire family. You are asked some questions & a photo of your family are taken. One given to you to use as ID when you meet up with your sponsored family. The other given to your sponsor. Then you waits. The world sponsors organization would announced to the world seeking people who would sponsor the refugees. Until the people living in the States enlisted to sponsor, the refugees would waits to be notified. My family & I waited a year in the first camp. Then transferred to waited in two other refugees camps. This arrangement was to make room for the new comers who flooded in KID camps, once the news got out in Cambodia. KID is the first huge camps set up since the late 1979. It started out people fearing being living under the demonic regime Pol Pot again. Thus they fled to the neighboring country Thailand to avoid. Thailand noticed the huge population was living in their land started to put up Fences to keep the refugees contained in the woods only. Then the Red Cross noticed & came to helps. It was the Red Cross who informed the world. The news made it known that people are fleeing seeking safety from being capture & kill by the communist regime. Thus, the world sponsoring program was set in place. My family & I lived in 3 refugee camps before we were accepted to come to America.
I'm all chocked up watching this. I am too a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. I was only 7 years old. Like your dad, the memory of the Khmer Rouge could never be forgotten. I'm glad that you're interested in knowing your root and your parents are able to share their experiences with you. Good or bad, this is our country history, our root and where we are coming from. We Khmer must not forget.
The deep wound is slowly healing but the scar is still there for all Cambodian people. I'm in tear watching this video. Both my mum and dad's family were all murder during the khmer rouge. Can you imagine, having dinner one night with your family and tomorrow you lose all your parents, your brother your sister, your friend and your whole world is destroy for no reason. I was born without any grandparents or immediate relative. So seeing such a wonderful reunion like this is really touching. The world hasn't grasp the scale of cruelty the khmer rouge unleash on to Cambodia.
I’m so sorry to hear of his passing. Thank you Vanna for making this. Your family story is our family story. Everything your parents expressed was what my parents could not because it is too painful for them. This means so much to us.❤️
This is one the most touching video i ve seen on youtube. As a Cambodian kid born overseas, i have always wondered how my parents survived that tragic era. Thanks for making this documentary that would help Cambodian descendant to know a bit of the many story. RIP Vanna. Your work, your spirit will shared even here in France. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
So proud to see Vanna's family documentary story finally premiering here!! Congratulations Krystal (and to all his Family, Friends and fellow Contributors) - This is such a fitting and beautiful tribute to Vanna (I love that it also captures some of his gentle humour) and his great talent and passion for film making! What great love and courage it took to seek profound healing together as a family - bravely reconnecting with such life changing places, past journeys, people and their deeply held memories of survival, sacrifice and loss. Sharing this story is such a Gift. Although taken too young in life, Vanna has left a great legacy behind - Not only for the benefit of his young daughter, but also to keep inspiring more filmmakers of the future. It was a blessing to have him in our lives. May his Soul rest in Peace always.
I am so proud to be Khmer. It’s such an honor and a privilege to hear his story. I haven’t touched Cambodia 🇰🇭 soil yet, but will cherish the moment forever when it happens
@@KrystalSeang Hi Krystal, it is sad that Vanna passed away at his young age (RIP). I was 15 when I first escaped from Cambodia with my family (1979). We were sent back by the Thai government to Preah Vihear to sweep the mine field for them (cruel beyond imagination). We escaped again in Dec 1979 and were the first wave to settle in Kao I Dang. We were among those who are "legal refugees" of the camp before it was closed soon after because of the number of refugees flooding in. Those who came late are "illegal refugees" like Vanna. We are now living in the USA. I really enjoy watching the film that brought back so many memories and brought tears to my eyes as some parts of the film brought back so much emotion. Thank you, Vanna, for a beautiful piece of our country's history.
I either laughed, cried or smiled the entire time. What a touching documentary. Our parents experienced so much pain & sorrow. The will to strive & remain resilient was the foundation of their survival. He said it best that bc of what his parents endured he understood the meaning of life. I'm so sorry to learn of his passing -- I offer my condolences 🙏🏾
When I was scrolling through You Tube, I was going to pass, this documentary, but something inside of me told me to look at it! I'm glad that I did! I could tell that Vanna was a very loving and caring son, to his parents! I'm sorry that he didn't live a longer life! His illness probably started, as a child, because his father had mentioned, in the video, that he didn't think that Vanna was going to make it, because he would be pooping blood, in his stools. I pray that you will reunite with your loving family, in the resurrection.
The documentary was so touching and tearful to watch. My dad and uncles and aunts would tell me how it was living during the Khmer Rouge. I lost my grandpa and six of my uncles and aunts from it. Never got to meet any of them. Thank you bong Vanna for this documentary. May you Rest In Peace!
This film make me cry. I went through Khmer Rough, then pushed through the Phnom Don Reak by the Thai with our first attempt, went through the mines fields. Tried again to KID, stayed for 9 months before left for Australia. It is very sad what happened to our people and what they through and now they are strangers in their own homeland with the invasion of the mainland Chinese.
As a child of Khmer, I want to thank you and your parents for sharing the stories. Us males don’t usually cry, and when we do.., the tears of our eyes means so much... thank you pa and mak of yours... po and Ming... thank you for being such a great person both to raise strong parents. I teared a lot
Thank you for sharing this. I am a Hmong, war child. Born in Longcheng, Laos in the 60s. In May 1975, we also had to evacuated due to the fall of SEA (Laos to the Communists). Though I've been back to Laos many times. I could never had the courage to set foot back to my home village 'Longcheng'. My birthplace. The memories will be too emotional. Watching this ache my heart and bring tears to my eyes. Thank you very much.
Do you think you will ever come back? Two years ago, my father went back to Vietnam for the first time in over 27 years. Honestly i would have never thought that day would happen when he was hanging out with my grandpa. Just saying him with his our family make me happy. It was worth delaying me gradulating college by a year and a half.
I’ve ugly cried many times through this documentary as like many others who were born in the refugee camp, my story mirrors this. Thank you so much for sharing something so heartfelt that’s hit so close to home! Thank you Vanna and your team for the dedication and commitment to making this invaluable film that depicts the atrocity to many Cambodians throughout the world that have been displaced from their country as a result of the Khmer Rouge. Our stories are not shared enough. Every time I think about life’s hardships, I think about with what our ancestors, parents, aunts and uncles had to endure! I know it’s nothing in comparison. Our experiences will always be a part of who we are. The experiences of our parents should never be forgotten! May you Rest In Peace and God bless you and your family! Thank you for sharing this film! ❤️
It all hit me when his passing was flashed up on the screen. It really was a journey for him in the end. Sad for his parents. Great documentary I hope many more people get to see it. We take absolutely everything for granted, and we must learn to reflect and help anyone who find themselves in a war zone without a doubt.
Rest easy Vanna, I'm going to miss you buddy. This hits home for me because I too was born in the Khao-I-Dang camps in '83. Thank you so much for this beautiful documentary.
My family and I just finished watching this documentary and we are very glad and appreciate you sharing your story with everyone. Thank you for sharing and I will make sure to tell more people to watch your documentary because it is so amazing and too good not to share. You are an incredible man with an incredible story and life. God bless you, Vanna. Such an incredible person lost too soon.
RJ Sanchez he was one healthy guy! Took really good care of himself.... he lived a good life with every day as though it was his last! He has completed his mission here on earth and is called to a greater calling... we miss him everyday!! So love and live as much as you can while you can :)
Thank you everyone who joined us tonight for the official premiere of our dearly loved Vanna Seang’s personal documentary “Return to KID”. 💚 Hope you feel Vanna’s spirit close by.
@@prossusa Vanna tragically passed away on 5th of September 2018 after suddenly being diagnosed with a rare blood condition. Vanna will forever be remembered as a beautiful, kind, funny and compassionate soul, and an incredibly talented filmmaker, storyteller and artist of life. Vanna is forever loved and dearly missed by his family, friends and the countless lives he touched.
I cried, I smiled, mostly cried though. I am one Khmer who may never understand the tragic story like my grandparents or my parents, but I always knew their stories, and their struggles. Thanks! I will share this doc to my family.
Beatiful film. Many of the scenes in this movie remind me of my own trip when I was just a 15 years old Vietnamese boy walking through Cambodia for 11 days in Summer 1981. Like your family, my sister and I were seeking for freedom from Vietnam Communist Regime. We did not stay in Khoa-I-Dang refugee camp, but stayed at a smaller refugee camp called "NW9" which was just a few kilometers from KID. Thanks for making this valuable film.
Great personal documentary, very touching ! Most of us who went through war in Cambodia from 1975-1989 can relate to this. It brings back memories when I was in K.I.D from 1984-1989 as a child as well. Great inspiring work Vanna! R.I.P !
Thanks so much for this. I first went Cambodia in 1990 with a couple of freelance photographers selling photos to the Guardian. I was very young and dreaming of becoming a war correspondent. Cambodia cured me of that crazy idea. But I fell deeply in love with Cambodia. Greatest respect for Cambodia people and I love going back to Cambodia and even tried to do business in Phnom Penh. Thanks so much. I'm crying as I watch.
I am so happy that I stumbled upon your story. It was very touching, loving and moving. I cried so much when your parents were sharing their story, it was a blessing to see that you were able to share those moments with them despite the unfortunate tragic that was seen at the end of this video. Thank you again for sharing your story, I hope one day my parents will have the courage to visit their homeland but I understand if they didn't want to after the tough and heartbreaking memories they will encounter during their time running from Khmer rouge to have a free life here in a America. May you Vanna find peace and reincarnate to a beautiful and loving person that you're! May your family find strength and light losing a special person like you. 🙏🙏❤❤
I am deeply moved by this film. I was born in 1985 (same year as Vanna) at Kao I Dang and lived there for 2 years. Up until now, I only heard about the stories but now I can actually visually see what my parents journey looked like. I wept. Thank you for the rare opportunity to connect my childhood. Vanna, your legacy lives on!
I was born in Khao-I-Dang. My mom was pregnant with my older sister when they fled to the border. My parents have talked about dodging bullets and how they could hear them flying above their heads. My parents loss their firstborn son to the war when he was 1 1/2 years old. RIP to my bong pros and to all of the victims of this horrendous war and RIP to you, Vanna.
This documentary is powerful and truthful, my parent who also survived the pol pot regime has suffer tremendously.. I am also blessed to be here today because of them.. Thanks Vanna for sharing this documentary with us ..
Thank you Vanna for this film. The moment when you met your family members , it brought tears flowing down my eyes. It’s been 40 years now since I was last in my birth country, Laos. I dearly missed my grandparents from my father side of the family. Both unfortunately have long passed away. I regretted not going back to visit them before they left this world. I will make time one of these years to visit my relatives in Laos. I sincerely thank you again for this film and may your soul Rest In Peace.
It’s such a great documentary and a very touching heart feeling film.As a Khmer/American myself really feel lucky and blessed to be alive today.Thanks to the UNHCR and the U.S government for sponsorship during the early ‘80s.My family wouldn’t be here today without the support of the U.S government and sponsors. Thanks for sharing your beautiful film to the world and so sorry for your loss. May your soul be Rest In Peace,Vanna Seang. Much love from the USA 🇺🇸
Had to watch this twice so I can watch it with my mother and grandparents. They loved every detail and made us all bond so much closer. God bless you and your family for sharing your story no matter how hard it was to bare words.
this is such a great documentary. I dated a Laotian girl who had to escape with her family in the same manner into a refugee camp in Thailand, she showed me pictures as well, it was such a sad and heroic journey. I couldn't imagine having to make that trip to safety as a little kid with other young siblings. I am so grateful she got the opportunity to come to the United states and have the life and family she does today. I am so sorry for your loss Krystal, my heart goes out to you and your family.....
This really touches my heart. Now since my mother had passed, i have no other to tell the story. And this documentary is perfect. I wish i was able to chit chat with Vanna Seng. This is part of all cambodian parents. Me being the first generation in America. Watching this makes me appreciate our people’s struggle ass refugee’s. RIP. Vanna Seng. One love to all who can relate. ❤️
15 minutes into this and I’m already in tears. It’s horrible to know that every Khmer family has their own tragic story during that horrible period in our history. I’ve never had the chance to meet either of my grandparents and all I know them by are their pictures and stories my mom tells me. I have aunts and uncles on my dads side that I’ll never know along with his father my grandfather. It amazes me everyday the strength my parents and all the grandparents parents aunts uncles cousins brothers sisters that survived all this. I was lucky enough to be born in the states a week after my parents arrived and I know I take it for granted but I am always forever grateful to my parents for the life they worked hard to give me in a new strange land.
When I interviewed Vanna’s dad on my Facebook live show, I only watched a short part of his film. After the interview I had an opportunity to watch the whole film. It brought back my memories of Khao-I-Dang camp. His parents’ experiences in the Khmer Rouge regime and their escape to Thailand also brought back tears to my eyes as I also went through the same experiences as a young child. Congratulations to the family for strive hard to carry on Vanna’s legacy for all to see. I send my condolences and may his soul Rest In Peace.
I have so many things to say. First, I was crushed to read of Vanna's death. My heart goes out to his family. Secondly, do you know I am 53 years old and only am learning of what happened in Cambodia now? What brave people. My heart breaks. This documentary was so good. I feel as if I know this family in some small way and I honor you all. This was so beautiful and hard to watch at times but such strength and courage. I wish only the best for you all.
This documentary touches home for me. First gen- Cambodian American ♥️ thank you for putting this together and sharing something so personal in which many many Cambodians all around the world can relate so close to home. I also laughed when his parents were talking about their marriage arrangement, if you understand Khmer. It’s a trip. 🤍
Thank you for this documentary... It is so sad to hear about our CAMBODIAN families, who went through ( khmer rouge), 😢😢😢My family went through this also😢😢😢 ... R. I. P VANNA🙏🙏🙏... 🇰🇭🇺🇸
This was so moving. Tore my heart to pieces. It was so honorable that your family came to pay their respects, offerings, and prayers for their love ones. They are not forgotten. This video is not only dedicated to your family but to all Cambodian families torned apart during that time who lost loved ones . You speak for all those who had no voices over the decades. Such a journey. So sad Vanna was taken from all of us at a early age. What a great human being. RIP Brother.
Any Khmer folks living outside of Cambodia.. America .. Canada .. Australia wherever ... I hope you can travel back to your homeland. Don’t just go visit the city or touristy area . Make sure you visit the country side to get a sense of what CAmbodia is really like. This was hard to watch because many of us can relate . I was born in 83 in K.I.D then put in an orphanage. Wish I had info about my blood relatives .. prayers too all affected during the Khmer Rouge.. thank you for this documentary . Thank you Vanna
This is a very touching and beautiful documentary! I’m glad he got to hear his parents side of the story and what they had went too. RIP Vanna Seang beautiful documentary, I’m glad your family was able to share this with us 🙏❤️
I cried the whole time watching this documentary ....brought back memories of my mom and dad’s refuged and hardship stories. Long story short, I was a little girl in Thailand camp with my parent around 1976-1977 and came to USA in 1979 .
I was browsing at "TH-cam" regarding Khmer's life, cooking, travels, etc.. and suddenly I found this video regarding "K-I-Dang" camp in Thailand. I was a refugee there before immigrated to USA in April 22, 1981. This document is very "Heart-Touch" by the survivors who have been through hardship during the Khmer Rouge Regime. Every survivor during this era has a "Unique" story to tell. I've to pause for a few seconds during the sad story-telling parts because I was crying with them. While watching this video, I do not realize that "Vanna'" has passed away. Such a sad story for the family. **** I wondered whether Vanna has suffered when he was an infant. I remembered his mom mentioned that he had "Diarrhea with Blood" when he was a toddler. I'm not sure this might be the case. Vanna is very "Curious & Intelligent" person who always wondered why, how, etc... My condolence to the "Seang Family"; especially his beautiful wife & daughter. Good Bless the "Seang's Family."
Thanks to the entire Seang’s entire family for being so incredibly honest with their feelings and emotions. This is a story that more people need to see! Saddens me to find out that the director passed away before seeing the finished film.
He did an amazing job on this. You can feel the emotion in every moment of this beautiful documentary. My heart goes out to his beautiful family and friends. They will always be in my prayers 🙏🙏.
Beautiful doco. Thank you so much for documenting the rawness of the shared Khmer experience. Heart-warming but deeply emotional. This is Cambodia. These are Cambodians. Through his parents' tales and his bravery to tell their story, you see a resillience about our culture that can never be quashed. Im from Bonnyrigg, Sydney, NSW and i thank you, my brother, for such insight and artistry. Rest in peace and "Ayoo Wheng" (have a long and prosperous life) to your family!
Thanks for this beautiful documentary Vanna! My family was very touch and I cried throughout the documentary and had few laughs too. It was even more sad at the end when it show the caption Vanna has pass at a young age. May he RIP 🙏🏼❤️ My condolences to to his families & Friends. My brother & I were born in Kao-I-Dang was good to see that. I’m hoping to go see K.I.D one day with Momma & Bro. I mention last week to a coworker that I wanted to do a documentary of how our parents life was back during the war. Good to hear and have it for later generations to know how much their parents and grandparents suffer.
My heart sank when I realized your passing. You didn't just tell your parents' story, it's your story and many more like me. I was a "KID" too in 1979-1980. I was 13 years old. Thank you Vanna. R.I.P. Memory of you will remain in me for all my life.
I cry with my parents watching this documentary. It really open many horrible memories and healing at the same time. I’m heartbroken to learned that he passed away. Thank you for sharing.🙏🏽❤️😭
Wow, what an incredible documentary! Very touching. It's authentic, captivated, moving, emotional. Glad to see that such film is directed by our very own. So proud to see that. Very sad to hear of his passing. I hope we can keep his legacy alive by make it a mandatory that schools throughout Cambodia see his film. So many families can relate to the struggles that his family had gone through and their journey. This documentary is for everyone. Especially, for those younger generation. They need to see this.
😭 RIP Vanna. 🙏 This is an incredible and powerful documentary ever made. So genuine and authentic that we could feel your parents’ sufferings and their strong will to survive. Thank you, Vanna. 🙏 Thank you to your family for sharing your journey with us. To the Seang family, we are so sorry for your loss. He was such a gentle soul and beautiful young man.
Such an awesome documentary. Thank you Vanna!!! So proud to be Cambodian. Awesome people. Awesome culture. Awesome language. -Left Cambodia 2 years old. Stayed in KID 4 years. USA 6 year old. Went back to Cambodia with my parents for the first time when I was 29 years old. Call father the same “pouk.” Proud to be Khmer.
When he said "Fish snake", I lost it. lolz, He was liked, "what the hell is 'fish snake?'" lolz, Gosh, this is so emotional I laugh and cry with them. I was born on the border of Cambodia and Thailand, all of the men in my family were all killed during the Khmer Rouge era. I too remembered my mom told me that I didn't have any clothes to wear and my mom had to tie me behind her back while trying to walk many miles barefoot from Cambodia to Thailand. Your story has touched me in so many ways. What shocked me the most was when he mentioned the mountain called, Phnom tipdpaie" That was where my mom resides during the communist. thank you for sharing this heartfelt story with us.
Yes I heard "fish snake" I thought he meant a variety of fish LOL then I remembered that many khmers from Long Beach like to translate this way khmer to english LOL so funny. So sad for Vanna family ! RIP
I happened to watch this well done documentary and it really touched my heart. I fortunately did not have the experience living under Pol Pot regime, but my oldest brother did and he died from starvation. Vanna took me to many places that I have never heard of. The only place that I could recognize was Battambang.I grew up in that province and went to school there. I saw the old bridge that I used to walk across to go to school everyday. Until April 17, 1975 my family and I fled to Thailand . We stayed in the kamp called Klong Yai right at the border of Pailin, Cambodia. We had to build our own shelter. We stayed there for 6 months until we got sponsored out to the United States. Vanna's parents are lovely couple and they are very articulated. At the end of the film, I was shocked and sadden to hear that Vanna's life was shorten. God bless his soul and his family he left behind.
Thank you for this video, for the testimony, the courage to relive painful moments and brings light to shadow side of their history. Thank you Vanna and your family for this testimony. Rest in peace Vanna Seang.
I just can't accept the fact that the director of this touching documentary has gone away. I'm so heartbroken to acknowledge this. Vanna may your beautiful soul rest in peace. Thank you for your valuable time to create this memories and the smile of every single member of your family tree. Your wife and your daughter are really pretty. You'll be missed forever.
I too, was in a refugee camp, yet too young to remember at the age of 2. I cried many tears through this documentary only remembering what my parents told me. I was also given a sleeping aid due to how young I was when we fled from Laos to Thailand so the soldiers wouldn’t catch us. So many lives lost to seek freedom. RIP Vanna 🙏🏼
I am crying while watching this documentary. My mother was from Cambodia. She left the Khao I Dang refugee camp and came to Malaysia. She always told me about her past story in Cambodia during war. Now when I watched this documentary, I can feel how the felt. 😢 My condolences to your family. Thank you so much for do this documentary ❤
Too many times, I had tears during the documentary because it relates too many Khmer people and how parents survived the Killing Field as well as the millions that were killed. May you rest in Paradise, Vanna.
Wow! This is one of the best documentary of the lives of many Cambodian people that they had to go through during the Khmer Rouge regime. It is so sad for me to watch this. This story should be in Hollywood. Love the video and love the story. Thanks you!👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I love your video, I am Cambodian also and my parents went thru same thing as your parents. At the end Khmer rouge killed my dad. I also lost 3 of my brothers because of starvation. I cried all thru your video so touching. I reside in the USA now. But I still have nightmare sometime. I was 7 years during that time. I am so happy I found your video. I love your parents they are so sweet and funny the same time. ❤
Very nice documentary reminds me of my mom and dad. Immigrating from China to America when I was 1yrs old. I went back to visit my family in China. Pretty lucky to be in U.S. My mom always talk about the old days. Now I'm 40 I truly understand what sacrifice my parents made for me and my sisters & brothers to be in U.S.👍
This was so well done. It’s the same story for many refugees. So many more eyes should see this. Thank you For this Mr. Vanna and your family May you Rest In Peace.
This story should resonate with every Vietnamese or Cambodian child that escaped for freedom with their families during these atrocities. My family fled for freedom too from the Vietnam war, separating families & siblings. Family missing, never to be found, with no explanation or investigations! That’s just how it was. Sad. I cried 10 minutes into the documentary seeing his father so heart broken 😅. I’m glad he got to go back to retrace their stories of hardship & pain, to give him & his siblings the freedom they have. At least his parents remained together. Mine were separated. I too went back to see where I was born. These are important historical pasts that need to be relived by the next generation to know the kinds of sacrifices our parents made for us. The coronavirus is nothing compared to what the pol pot regime genocide did to the Cambodian people. Let’s hope we learn from it and it never happens again. So sad Vanna passed at such a young age, another sorrow for his poor parents & family. He seemed like a fun loving guy. I loved how he had humour & couldn’t tell the difference between lemon grass and morning glory 😍🤪. Respect, RIP.
Vanna was a great Cambodian blood film maker who remained this precious historical documentary for generations. We will remember him. May he rest in peace.
Thank you for sharing this. I like many of the other viewers am an Australian raised Cambodian, whose parents went through tragic circumstances like this. It was a pleasure to follow the family journey and get a better understanding of what our parents went through. It has inspired me to travel back to Cambodia one day to find the story of our roots. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
A touchable documentary film that makes me cry with hope. It flashes me back to understand lives of our people in pre, during, and post of the Khmer Rouge regime. 🥰🇰🇭 Shout out to Bong Vanna and his teammates for this amazing project!!!!
I found your documentary in trying to prepare for my own trip back to Cambodia and in trying to share my parent’s story with my own children. Thank you Vanna and your whole family for taking us along on this amazing trip. Your documentary is a family history and an amazing gift of love to your daughter for many years to come. I cried for my grandparents who I will never have an opportunity to meet. I cried for my parents for the lost of their siblings. I felt your father’s pain and anguish. They bury and guard their pain so deep. It’s the only thing they have left of their families. In telling your family’s story, you also told all of our stories of heart ache and pain. Of hopes and dreams lost and of lives robbed. But also of hope and resilience restored.
It's joyful and sad watching the documentary. Bless Vanna and his parents for his courage to share their stories. I was born during that era in K.I.D among many other kids. We all can relate to their story. Toward the end of this story seeing Vanna in the hospital bed holding his camera 📷. You can tell he definitely love what he do. Thank you for putting this documentary together 🙏 . 💯
It is very brave and strong of your parents to share their personal lives experienced and journey through their hardships. Not too many Cambodian parents can do that. I agreed with the people who went through the Khmer rough time. Everyone who lived during those times will have more of an emotional connection and can relate to your documentary. Some areas are more harsh to survive than others. My uncles were given away and killed. My mom has only her sister who survived the holocaust, the rest were killed or died from starvation. You are lucky Vanna that your parents decided to relive their history just for you. I am also pleased that you are doing this documentary. What a misfortunes for your mother, but she is the most fortunate one. It's always a pleasure for me to see compassionate family. Thank you for your story. Perhaps, one day, I will have the courage to visit my homeland and to relive my past. Please embrace each other us Koun Khmer and help restore our Country again for the freedom of human rights and to bring liberty and justice for those who have lost their lives for us. May the spirits of your ancestors be with you and protect you and your families through out. What you are doing take courage and compassion. I salute you!!!
Thank you for informing us of his passing. OMG! I am crying a River of tears watching this film. So difficult for me to watch through. I am only 1/2 way through. I had to stop the video to stop crying. Then I saw your comment made many months ago. My sadness became more. I feels so sorry for his poor parents who has another loves one to mourn. I am so sorry for your lost. You are so lucky to have him even though it was not long. He was a talented & beautiful human being. His parents seems so familiar to me. I felt like I knew them. I even thought I met them somewhere. If my parents see this film, they might know. I was in the same area as his parents. The public kitchen, my resident was next to this public Kitchen. It has been 40 plus years had past. I had three very vivid memories of these places. In each place there are stories. I lived through this night mare. I had all my memories in full details. I went to school to learn to how write stories. But I found it very difficult to talk about it. I even forced myself to go to a mental health institution to try to get treated. I was helped by God already. In KID camp I came Face to Face with one of the people of Pol Pot who severely tortured me for years. I was so shocked. I followed this young woman to her home. Then went home to get a weapon to protects myself. At the exact spot where I met her suddenly appeared a woman Angel with Wings. I am still clueless as to who Angels are. I am told in a frantic way to go back home. That I must forget about this tragic period. I must start a new life & focus on moving forward. That I must not thinks of getting revenge. That God knows all who committed wrong. That God will punishes those who wrong me. That God will take revenge for me. That they will face punishments accordingly. That I try to live a normal life. For 40 years I put the vivid bad memories in a corner of my brain. She helped me with what went wrong with my brain. She made the severe Brain traumas gone. I focus only on living my life & learning. God who sent his Angeles to heal me. If God had not intervened I would have gone mad. I was told by the Angels not to think about this period & moved on. But I am born with a photographic memory. I can not forgets & I do not want to forget so that I can writes about this period. It was God who saved Cambodia from being wipe out. He made Pol Pot gone mad. This prompted Vietnam to invaded Cambodia. In doing so saved all the survivors. My father who was a slave to a lower rank leader. He was captured to be their Watch & Radio repairman. He was told by the leader about their planned to kill off all whom they forced into the countryside. I heard many people spoke of their planned too. Then when I was forced to dig mass graves one or two story deep & the length of a Football field. I learned one of their secret planned. Another was to kill people off by working to death & starvation. I witnessed these two plans. I was taken in secrecy to dig these massive graves. Those who also worked this job knew that they will be killed after it was done. It came true. I believed I am the only one left to tell this. This was the very reason why God saved me & continues to saved my life so that I can bear witness to this tragic event. I heard many stories during the four years of hell on Earth. I faced their second planned when I escaped. The Khmer Rouge people put me in this secret group because they found out I was born strong. They deemed I can be of use to them in digging the massive graves since I was so strong. I was just a kid of 7 years old. After two years or during what they called the new Onka I was put in the right age group peer workers. But, the old regime captured me and buried me alive. God sent a team of his Angels to bring me out. I kept walking back into my Camp. I was deemed a dead person walking. They treated me like I am a ghost. I never knew why. But I was freed to do as I wish for a very short period. I thought I was freed. After a few times trying & especially they met with God’s male team of Angels, they stopped trying to kill me. I fall back into a group of working to death. They works you to death. A 12 hours hard labor jobs & 7 days a week. And they do not give anything to eat or used. My coworkers died off fast. I was also dying again. They dragged me to an open field where they let me to die just like what they did with all my coworkers. I did not know they died. I was about to die when a female Angel came & saved me. This Angel prepared me for the Corona Virus. I had been infected 9 times. I treated myself with the skills taught to me by this one Angel. She is a Herbalist used to help save people without the use of God’s power. The reason why God did saved my life this way was to teaches me the knowledge to save my life in future times. After, I was cure of the incurable infectious virus. My coworkers was not fed by the demonic regime. People was finding foods on their own. They ate animals that should not be eaten. Became infected. A deadly Corona virus family came to life. Quickly killed off all my coworkers. Included me. There was an outbreaks of this virus. But no one knew what it is. It came to light for me when in 2019 to 2020 during when I was infected 9 times. I now knows that it was this virus. Because I vividly remembered everything about this virus. A familiarity arrived. I tested it out my theory & within the amount of time that I was cured in modern time perfectly matched with what happened when the Angel who saved my life. I never trusted this Angel still. So I analyzed the ingredients. I dug deep. And found why it worked. I quickly tried the remedy. Within one hour I was fine like I first took it. Now I realized why God kept bring me back to life. He was using me. I hold the knowledge of surviving any bioweapons. I am forbidden to share this. Is because there are reasons why this virus came to life again. Without food to eat I was in trouble with Pol Pot regime again. If you seems sickened & weaken, they will kill you off. I thought to myself what use is it for God to sent his doctor to save my life when I am not even allowed to eat the food I found? After being brought back to life, I was placed in a group of adult women who they deemed will survived giving some very little Rice of Porridge to eat. But they won’t give me any to eat & I am forbidden to eat what I find. Now I am asking for God to kill me. God sent a small female Angel five feet tall. She worked her magic to keep me alive & well. She came into my body. During work time I do not see her. Only when I am off work that I was seen speaking by myself. I never knew this for 2 years. I only noticed strange starred, being afraid of me, & giving me the silent treatment. For two years I do not remembered eating anything. I did not know that food is the source of life. I do not know what kept me alive? One day to liberation day by the Vietnamese’s Army after work she came out of nowhere. She was trying to say goodbye to me. She told me that her job is done that she has other children to cares for. That I am not the only one who God tasked to works with. She told me that from that day forward that my life will get back to normal. That I will be reunited with my family. These are the very things I wants to hear. I was sudden feeling finally free. Then came when she said she is not human but an Angel tasked to cares for me. I said, no wondered my Coworkers treated me so strange. Just days before, I kept asking my Coworkers why they treated me like I am crazy? They said it was because they saw me talking to myself. I said to the Angel that no wonder people thought I was crazy talking to no one. But I was talking to her. Quickly, she made them see her & gone to gathered them around. She told them to put their head down & they did. Once their heads are down & put her hands on two people. She spoke to them. I knew she was talking about me. I do not know what Angel is. But knew what a friend is. Thus I thought she could not be talking bad about me. Right after she was done talking. In an angry mode I was talking to the adults. I asked them was my Angel real to them? Were they not abled to touch her? They said yes to two questions. Now, I made them feel sorry. I said it was not right for them to treated me like they did. While I was talking to my coworkers & being mad, my Angel disappeared. The next day just a few hours before everyone are freed I was looking for my Angel. She was no where to be found. I realized what the Angel was talking to them about. She told them that they do not know where she is. They all said they do not know when I asked each one. To this day, I can not forget her image and her story. I took drawing & technical drawing so that I can draw her image. For six months I learned nothing from my Art Teacher. Because he had me learn on my own. In College I was busy learning in College, working full time, & be parents to my siblings. Some years gone by I took private arts lessons. I realized she was no different from the first so I stopped going after the first day. My sister & I both realized we found a bad art teacher & stopping attending. One thing let to another my wish to learn to draw got put off for a very long time. Damn! It was a shocker when I learned in my family gene was a gift God gave to my parents. The ability to draw without learning. My young brother gone this ability. My sister’s older child also has this ability. And they are good at it. For since I saw Angels, I wanted to paints their images. I kept drawing flower blossom leaves to practice.
God Bless Vanna, and my thoughts to his whole family. I know this Doc echos the same feelings for most Khmer who were effected by the KR and returned back home for the first time. This chokes me up having experienced the same when I went back to meet the family i never me. Thankfully this is archived in TH-cam forever.
I went through that terrible pol pot regime when I was 8 yrs old. I saw in my own eyes ,walking with my friend to look for fish, a guy was forced to dig his own hole while the two Khmer Rouge soldiers with guns stood guard him. After he had finished digging the hole, one of the soldiers took the hoe from his hand and hit him to the back of his head into the hole and buried him. During the invasion of Vietnamese, my mother, my younger sister and I escaped the regime to live in Srakeo 1 camp , Srakeo 2 camp and Keo I Dang camp. Now I live in Canada. The place where I missed the most was Keo I Dang camp. Because of the generosity of the UNHCR I was be able to go to school in the camp. Life as a student, I had lots of good memories there. But I never forget the horrible thing I witnessed. Thanks Vanna for sharing your family’s life with us . No one will understand till those who went through. So sorry to hear you passed away. I don’t know you. But I want to wish your beautiful soul rest in peace.
Your docu-story was beautifully shot. Your family exudes warmth and love despite what they've been through. I was in Khao I Dang in 1982-1983 and the only thing i remembered was the dry red dirt and the day i cut my heel open and had to get stitches. I will look at my scar now and remember how lucky we were to have made it! May you Rip Vanna xx
I accidentally found out about this film. I am glad and grateful for your film and up load. As an Aussie myself, I am sad you are gone. How Vanna. God bless your family and daughter. I watch it for the fourth time. Amazing, I have also so much memories and many stories to tell. I lost both my mum and dad, a brother, a nephew and both sides of grand man and grand dads, many many cousins. I was also at Battambang Province.
I cried every time i watched this video. I watched 3 times already. I felt so much touching to those elder people also my parents, grand parents lives during those darkest days. I love all seconds in this video from the beginning to the end, especially The parents talking and act the situations when they were living there (Khao I Dang) and the son listening with strong mind. Really respectful! I hope other family can make the video like this to show our next generation kids. There may other family which was facing the different tough time. Wish this family the best.
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing, powerful, and heart-wrenching story. My father was also murdered by the Khmer Rouge and my family and I took a similar route from Battambong to KID in 1979. I was seven years old then. This story is the story of hundreds of thousands of Cambodian people who fled the country to KID after the Vietnam invasion. Vanna did an incredible job telling it and showing the amount of pain and sorrow the Khmer people still have left to heal and reconcile with all the loss and suffering they had to endure. This is my first time watching Vanna's work and I was immediately inspired by him. I'm so sad, and hurt and so sorry to his family, friends and love ones that he is no longer with us.
You'll always have people in this world where beating other people down is their way of feeling better. Its really sad because they are hurting inside.
They looked shell-shocked. Even without an attachment to Khmer history, this film was just so valuable in appreciating early life trauma + PTSD of genocide. It was heavy pretty much immediately but still good so watchable and heartwarming. Very well done.
Thanks for making this movie..my parent’s immigrated from cambodia 🇰🇭 and I can definitely relate to every aspect of this film...it was very touching and moving
RIP Vanna. Thank you for making this. As a Cambodian American, I have a better understanding what my parents struggled through and a greater appreciation for what I have.
I had tears in my eyes when your parents were telling their story. My parents were in the similar situation. I was one of the kids in that camp. I don’t remember much, but your documentary brought back some memories living there. Thanks for sharing. -USA
Grew up along the cambodian community, so many i know whose families were affected by those dark times, great doco so emotional, may he continue to rest in paradise, so heartbreaking for the family to have lost their son at such a young age.
Watching this video bring back all the sad memories during those horrific times, my whole entire families was almost wide out of this lovely planet. I've known recognized that place where my families and I was walked pass by while we tried to escape. Thanks for the video.
I wish the people who disliked this documentary have a chance to watch it til the end.
The documentary is such a beautiful, heart touching, emotional and educational film. It represents many Cambodian families during difficult times and Vanna’s family is one of them. Vanna has shared an important piece of his family’s story for the next generation to get some perspective on how hard life is during that time. And I am glad that he managed to capture his family’s story to share with all of us before he is gone.
It is sad to know that Vanna has passed away. May Vanna Rest In Peace and I hope his family heal from the past as well.
Chan C I think the same brother this documentary is great and it’s good for us to learn how far our family has come, he did great with this documentary.
I think some viewers gave thump downs due to the fact the documentary spent about 1 hour and 10 minutes before showing Khao I Dang. It seems more appropriate to spend more time showing K.I.D itself. Yes, it's sad and messed up that Vanna died. Parents and old people should die before their children. Sometimes, life is so screwed up.
Why did Vanna pass away??
@@y.r.9401 It says in the film that he had a blood clot.
I had to pause the video to get a grip of myself. This documentary is very powerful and emotional at the same time. My family and i when through the same ordeal during Pol Pot regime. We were also station in Battambong Province. I never had the chance to meet my dad family side. He loss his mom, dad and 7 of his sibling during this horrific time. I will never forgive or forget what'd happened to my country, never let history repeat itself. Thank you Vanna Seang and his families for this documentary. RIP my brother..your message will live on.
Please learn to forgive because forgiveness does not mean letting others off the hook. Forgiveness is for the forgiver to be able to let go of the injustice that was perpetrated on them and properly heal. However, never forgetting is something everyone should do so that these stories are never lost.
This film, opened up my parents to share more of their past. My mother had PTSD from the genocide, and doctors Keep giving her medications, which I am not a fan of.... but by encouraging my mother to open up and sharing her experiences, helps release those suppressed emotions. Thank you Vanna and family for this very touching film, we really enjoyed it. Films like these teaches us how precious life is... thus, we can find more gratitude in our lives everyday. RIP Vanna, you’ve fulfilled your life’s purpose and your legacy will be remembered. ❤️🙏🙏🙏
I dont mean to be off topic but does any of you know of a trick to get back into an Instagram account??
I was stupid lost the account password. I would appreciate any assistance you can give me!
thank you so much Jayden for sharing your parents’ own experience and for your thoughtful comment. Wishing you and your family all the best.
OMG I was in Khao-I-Dang during the same exact years. We were the “RC”, the last legal group in “Annex 2”. I could have been their neighbor. My family settled in Long Beach, California, in 1988. I am 11 years older than Vanna. I am a living witness of their story. It is as real as it can be from his parents memories. One of many sad events in the camp, that was not told in the firm, was when the bad guys with guns, came into our camp, almost weekly, to robbed us. I am sorry for the Seang family that Vanna is gone from us so soon. I don’t know him, but from the firm, it seems like he was a very kind, soft soul, funny, caring person. This firm is much better than many high dollar Hollywood movies. Thank you for sharing.
World needs to know about refugees getting robbed, raped and murdered in these camps! Predominantly it was Thai's coming in doing it. And it was done to young small children as well! Than arrival in Amerikkka wasn't so great in most urban communities..
This type of trauma is not forgotten and children of the killing fields have grown up enduring a lifetime of struggle till today!
Im sorry to ask but i wonder how cambodian escape from cambodia to USA during Khmer Rouge.
@@neathhnuii6532 luck, guts, common sense, foraging for food when possible, some artillery and the civilians Khmer Serey(Khmer Freedom). This was after the Vietnamese invasion... look into the Khmer Serey I think was headed by a 17yr old.
My family, dad, grandfather's and uncles at times had AK47, M16 and RPGs. Prior to the fall of Cambodia, the non communist party gave out AKs, M16 to every head of household. During the Khmer Rouge regime, they tricked and confiscated guns. My family along with others would turn some guns in and hide some. Many families weren't as fortunate as mine though. Both my parents and all my siblings survived! Most Khmers had no resources to food and protection.
Battambong was the last strong hold of non communist Cambodia, which has long history of families in the army. It's in the northern region, and that's why we fled to Thailand (formerly Khmer Land). Most of the Cambodians that fled after 1975 are from Battambong.
Till today I see the horrors of war, sometimes a helicopter can trigger trauma from when I was a child.
@@neathhnuii6532 through the world sponsoring program. You enlist your entire family on the world sponsors list. In your form you choose which of the countries you would like go live in. Then they interview your entire family. You are asked some questions & a photo of your family are taken. One given to you to use as ID when you meet up with your sponsored family. The other given to your sponsor. Then you waits. The world sponsors organization would announced to the world seeking people who would sponsor the refugees. Until the people living in the States enlisted to sponsor, the refugees would waits to be notified. My family & I waited a year in the first camp. Then transferred to waited in two other refugees camps. This arrangement was to make room for the new comers who flooded in KID camps, once the news got out in Cambodia. KID is the first huge camps set up since the late 1979. It started out people fearing being living under the demonic regime Pol Pot again. Thus they fled to the neighboring country Thailand to avoid. Thailand noticed the huge population was living in their land started to put up Fences to keep the refugees contained in the woods only. Then the Red Cross noticed & came to helps. It was the Red Cross who informed the world. The news made it known that people are fleeing seeking safety from being capture & kill by the communist regime. Thus, the world sponsoring program was set in place. My family & I lived in 3 refugee camps before we were accepted to come to America.
I'm all chocked up watching this. I am too a survivor of the Khmer Rouge. I was only 7 years old. Like your dad, the memory of the Khmer Rouge could never be forgotten. I'm glad that you're interested in knowing your root and your parents are able to share their experiences with you. Good or bad, this is our country history, our root and where we are coming from. We Khmer must not forget.
The deep wound is slowly healing but the scar is still there for all Cambodian people. I'm in tear watching this video. Both my mum and dad's family were all murder during the khmer rouge. Can you imagine, having dinner one night with your family and tomorrow you lose all your parents, your brother your sister, your friend and your whole world is destroy for no reason. I was born without any grandparents or immediate relative. So seeing such a wonderful reunion like this is really touching. The world hasn't grasp the scale of cruelty the khmer rouge unleash on to Cambodia.
I’m so sorry to hear of his passing. Thank you Vanna for making this. Your family story is our family story. Everything your parents expressed was what my parents could not because it is too painful for them. This means so much to us.❤️
This is one the most touching video i ve seen on youtube. As a Cambodian kid born overseas, i have always wondered how my parents survived that tragic era.
Thanks for making this documentary that would help Cambodian descendant to know a bit of the many story.
RIP Vanna. Your work, your spirit will shared even here in France. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
Yes, it is really emotional 😭
I am the same, except my parents have told me much about it. We are one of the few very lucky ones where a whole family of 8 survived.
So proud to see Vanna's family documentary story finally premiering here!!
Congratulations Krystal (and to all his Family, Friends and fellow Contributors) -
This is such a fitting and beautiful tribute to Vanna (I love that it also captures some of his gentle humour) and his great talent and passion for film making!
What great love and courage it took to seek profound healing together as a family - bravely reconnecting with such life changing places, past journeys, people and their deeply held memories of survival, sacrifice and loss. Sharing this story is such a Gift.
Although taken too young in life, Vanna has left a great legacy behind - Not only for the benefit of his young daughter, but also to keep inspiring more filmmakers of the future.
It was a blessing to have him in our lives. May his Soul rest in Peace always.
I am so proud to be Khmer. It’s such an honor and a privilege to hear his story. I haven’t touched Cambodia 🇰🇭 soil yet, but will cherish the moment forever when it happens
Reform Khmer Country and reform Laos !!! We will go reform law and order !!! Kick those communist blood sucking leeches out !!!
Thank you for your beautiful message in honour of Vanna’s story and film.
@@KrystalSeang Hi Krystal, it is sad that Vanna passed away at his young age (RIP). I was 15 when I first escaped from Cambodia with my family (1979). We were sent back by the Thai government to Preah Vihear to sweep the mine field for them (cruel beyond imagination). We escaped again in Dec 1979 and were the first wave to settle in Kao I Dang. We were among those who are "legal refugees" of the camp before it was closed soon after because of the number of refugees flooding in. Those who came late are "illegal refugees" like Vanna. We are now living in the USA.
I really enjoy watching the film that brought back so many memories and brought tears to my eyes as some parts of the film brought back so much emotion.
Thank you, Vanna, for a beautiful piece of our country's history.
@@tychen6156 thank you so much Ty for sharing your personal experience and your thoughtful comment. Wishing you all the best in life.
Every time your parents cried, I crying too, I felt their pain.
I either laughed, cried or smiled the entire time. What a touching documentary. Our parents experienced so much pain & sorrow. The will to strive & remain resilient was the foundation of their survival. He said it best that bc of what his parents endured he understood the meaning of life. I'm so sorry to learn of his passing -- I offer my condolences 🙏🏾
When I was scrolling through You Tube, I was going to pass, this documentary, but something inside of me told me to look at it! I'm glad that I did! I could tell that Vanna was a very loving and caring son, to his parents! I'm sorry that he didn't live a longer life! His illness probably started, as a child, because his father had mentioned, in the video, that he didn't think that Vanna was going to make it, because he would be pooping blood, in his stools. I pray that you will reunite with your loving family, in the resurrection.
Omg...my heart dropped. I'm glad he was able to spend the time with his parents and saw his grandma. My heart goes out to your family.
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The documentary was so touching and tearful to watch. My dad and uncles and aunts would tell me how it was living during the Khmer Rouge. I lost my grandpa and six of my uncles and aunts from it. Never got to meet any of them. Thank you bong Vanna for this documentary. May you Rest In Peace!
This film make me cry. I went through Khmer Rough, then pushed through the Phnom Don Reak by the Thai with our first attempt, went through the mines fields. Tried again to KID, stayed for 9 months before left for Australia.
It is very sad what happened to our people and what they through and now they are strangers in their own homeland with the invasion of the mainland Chinese.
As a child of Khmer, I want to thank you and your parents for sharing the stories. Us males don’t usually cry, and when we do.., the tears of our eyes means so much... thank you pa and mak of yours... po and Ming... thank you for being such a great person both to raise strong parents. I teared a lot
Thank you for sharing this. I am a Hmong, war child. Born in Longcheng, Laos in the 60s. In May 1975, we also had to evacuated due to the fall of SEA (Laos to the Communists). Though I've been back to Laos many times. I could never had the courage to set foot back to my home village 'Longcheng'. My birthplace. The memories will be too emotional. Watching this ache my heart and bring tears to my eyes. Thank you very much.
Do you think you will ever come back? Two years ago, my father went back to Vietnam for the first time in over 27 years. Honestly i would have never thought that day would happen when he was hanging out with my grandpa. Just saying him with his our family make me happy. It was worth delaying me gradulating college by a year and a half.
I’ve ugly cried many times through this documentary as like many others who were born in the refugee camp, my story mirrors this. Thank you so much for sharing something so heartfelt that’s hit so close to home! Thank you Vanna and your team for the dedication and commitment to making this invaluable film that depicts the atrocity to many Cambodians throughout the world that have been displaced from their country as a result of the Khmer Rouge. Our stories are not shared enough. Every time I think about life’s hardships, I think about with what our ancestors, parents, aunts and uncles had to endure! I know it’s nothing in comparison. Our experiences will always be a part of who we are. The experiences of our parents should never be forgotten! May you Rest In Peace and God bless you and your family! Thank you for sharing this film! ❤️
It all hit me when his passing was flashed up on the screen. It really was a journey for him in the end. Sad for his parents. Great documentary I hope many more people get to see it. We take absolutely everything for granted, and we must learn to reflect and help anyone who find themselves in a war zone without a doubt.
Rest easy Vanna, I'm going to miss you buddy. This hits home for me because I too was born in the Khao-I-Dang camps in '83. Thank you so much for this beautiful documentary.
Wait Vanna the guy in the video die? How?
@@hairobsession9646 From a rare blood condition.
My family and I just finished watching this documentary and we are very glad and appreciate you sharing your story with everyone. Thank you for sharing and I will make sure to tell more people to watch your documentary because it is so amazing and too good not to share. You are an incredible man with an incredible story and life. God bless you, Vanna.
Such an incredible person lost too soon.
RIP Vanna. u’ve touched many lives with this film and will forever be remember.
He passed away?
What he passed?
He already passed away ..5/9/2018 .. His life was quickly taken after only very recently being diagnosed with a rare blood condition
Omg RIP Vanna
RJ Sanchez he was one healthy guy! Took really good care of himself.... he lived a good life with every day as though it was his last! He has completed his mission here on earth and is called to a greater calling... we miss him everyday!! So love and live as much as you can while you can :)
Thank you everyone who joined us tonight for the official premiere of our dearly loved Vanna Seang’s personal documentary “Return to KID”. 💚 Hope you feel Vanna’s spirit close by.
What happened to Vanna?
@@prossusa Vanna tragically passed away on 5th of September 2018 after suddenly being diagnosed with a rare blood condition. Vanna will forever be remembered as a beautiful, kind, funny and compassionate soul, and an incredibly talented filmmaker, storyteller and artist of life. Vanna is forever loved and dearly missed by his family, friends and the countless lives he touched.
This film is very moving & touching that many expats like me can identify to it.
May Vanna's soul reincarnate in a person as beautiful as he was !
Krystal Seang Cambodia-Australia sadly lost another good son. May his soul Rest In Peace.
I am sorry for your loss. I know the loss of loved one. My brother was killed by a drunk driver 6 months ago.
I cried, I smiled, mostly cried though. I am one Khmer who may never understand the tragic story like my grandparents or my parents, but I always knew their stories, and their struggles. Thanks! I will share this doc to my family.
Beatiful film. Many of the scenes in this movie remind me of my own trip when I was just a 15 years old Vietnamese boy walking through Cambodia for 11 days in Summer 1981. Like your family, my sister and I were seeking for freedom from Vietnam Communist Regime. We did not stay in Khoa-I-Dang refugee camp, but stayed at a smaller refugee camp called "NW9" which was just a few kilometers from KID. Thanks for making this valuable film.
Great personal documentary, very touching ! Most of us who went through war in Cambodia from 1975-1989 can relate to this. It brings back memories when I was in K.I.D from 1984-1989 as a child as well. Great inspiring work Vanna! R.I.P !
Thanks so much for this. I first went Cambodia in 1990 with a couple of freelance photographers selling photos to the Guardian. I was very young and dreaming of becoming a war correspondent. Cambodia cured me of that crazy idea. But I fell deeply in love with Cambodia. Greatest respect for Cambodia people and I love going back to Cambodia and even tried to do business in Phnom Penh. Thanks so much. I'm crying as I watch.
Oh sorry I just read back story about the death of this amazing person. What a loss... So sorry to hear.
I am so happy that I stumbled upon your story. It was very touching, loving and moving. I cried so much when your parents were sharing their story, it was a blessing to see that you were able to share those moments with them despite the unfortunate tragic that was seen at the end of this video. Thank you again for sharing your story, I hope one day my parents will have the courage to visit their homeland but I understand if they didn't want to after the tough and heartbreaking memories they will encounter during their time running from Khmer rouge to have a free life here in a America. May you Vanna find peace and reincarnate to a beautiful and loving person that you're! May your family find strength and light losing a special person like you. 🙏🙏❤❤
I am deeply moved by this film. I was born in 1985 (same year as Vanna) at Kao I Dang and lived there for 2 years. Up until now, I only heard about the stories but now I can actually visually see what my parents journey looked like. I wept. Thank you for the rare opportunity to connect my childhood. Vanna, your legacy lives on!
I was born in Khao-I-Dang. My mom was pregnant with my older sister when they fled to the border. My parents have talked about dodging bullets and how they could hear them flying above their heads. My parents loss their firstborn son to the war when he was 1 1/2 years old. RIP to my bong pros and to all of the victims of this horrendous war and RIP to you, Vanna.
This documentary is powerful and truthful, my parent who also survived the pol pot regime has suffer tremendously.. I am also blessed to be here today because of them.. Thanks Vanna for sharing this documentary with us ..
Thank you Vanna for this film. The moment when you met your family members , it brought tears flowing down my eyes. It’s been 40 years now since I was last in my birth country, Laos. I dearly missed my grandparents from my father side of the family. Both unfortunately have long passed away. I regretted not going back to visit them before they left this world. I will make time one of these years to visit my relatives in Laos. I sincerely thank you again for this film and may your soul Rest In Peace.
It’s such a great documentary and a very touching heart feeling film.As a Khmer/American myself really feel lucky and blessed to be alive today.Thanks to the UNHCR and the U.S government for sponsorship during the early ‘80s.My family wouldn’t be here today without the support of the U.S government and sponsors.
Thanks for sharing your beautiful film to the world and so sorry for your loss.
May your soul be Rest In Peace,Vanna Seang.
Much love from the USA 🇺🇸
Had to watch this twice so I can watch it with my mother and grandparents. They loved every detail and made us all bond so much closer. God bless you and your family for sharing your story no matter how hard it was to bare words.
this is such a great documentary. I dated a Laotian girl who had to escape with her family in the same manner into a refugee camp in Thailand, she showed me pictures as well, it was such a sad and heroic journey. I couldn't imagine having to make that trip to safety as a little kid with other young siblings. I am so grateful she got the opportunity to come to the United states and have the life and family she does today. I am so sorry for your loss Krystal, my heart goes out to you and your family.....
This really touches my heart. Now since my mother had passed, i have no other to tell the story. And this documentary is perfect. I wish i was able to chit chat with Vanna Seng. This is part of all cambodian parents. Me being the first generation in America. Watching this makes me appreciate our people’s struggle ass refugee’s. RIP. Vanna Seng. One love to all who can relate. ❤️
15 minutes into this and I’m already in tears. It’s horrible to know that every Khmer family has their own tragic story during that horrible period in our history. I’ve never had the chance to meet either of my grandparents and all I know them by are their pictures and stories my mom tells me. I have aunts and uncles on my dads side that I’ll never know along with his father my grandfather. It amazes me everyday the strength my parents and all the grandparents parents aunts uncles cousins brothers sisters that survived all this. I was lucky enough to be born in the states a week after my parents arrived and I know I take it for granted but I am always forever grateful to my parents for the life they worked hard to give me in a new strange land.
When I interviewed Vanna’s dad on my Facebook live show, I only watched a short part of his film. After the interview I had an opportunity to watch the whole film. It brought back my memories of Khao-I-Dang camp. His parents’ experiences in the Khmer Rouge regime and their escape to Thailand also brought back tears to my eyes as I also went through the same experiences as a young child. Congratulations to the family for strive hard to carry on Vanna’s legacy for all to see. I send my condolences and may his soul Rest In Peace.
I was born there too! 🙏
Hi hi nono no Co on no no
I have so many things to say. First, I was crushed to read of Vanna's death. My heart goes out to his family. Secondly, do you know I am 53 years old and only am learning of what happened in Cambodia now? What brave people. My heart breaks. This documentary was so good. I feel as if I know this family in some small way and I honor you all. This was so beautiful and hard to watch at times but such strength and courage. I wish only the best for you all.
This documentary touches home for me. First gen- Cambodian American ♥️ thank you for putting this together and sharing something so personal in which many many Cambodians all around the world can relate so close to home. I also laughed when his parents were talking about their marriage arrangement, if you understand Khmer. It’s a trip. 🤍
Thank you for this documentary... It is so sad to hear about our CAMBODIAN families, who went through ( khmer rouge), 😢😢😢My family went through this also😢😢😢 ... R. I. P VANNA🙏🙏🙏... 🇰🇭🇺🇸
I'm a Cambodian American filmmaker as well and this documentary got me teary. My parents went through the same thing. So this is very relatable.
Mo Mo
This was so moving. Tore my heart to pieces. It was so honorable that your family came to pay their respects, offerings, and prayers for their love ones. They are not forgotten. This video is not only dedicated to your family but to all Cambodian families torned apart during that time who lost loved ones . You speak for all those who had no voices over the decades. Such a journey. So sad Vanna was taken from all of us at a early age. What a great human being. RIP Brother.
RIP Vanna Seag 🙏. This is very sad history of Cambodian 😥 thank you for making this documentary . You are such a wonderful person .
Any Khmer folks living outside of Cambodia.. America .. Canada .. Australia wherever ... I hope you can travel back to your homeland. Don’t just go visit the city or touristy area . Make sure you visit the country side to get a sense of what CAmbodia is really like. This was hard to watch because many of us can relate . I was born in 83 in K.I.D then put in an orphanage. Wish I had info about my blood relatives .. prayers too all affected during the Khmer Rouge.. thank you for this documentary . Thank you Vanna
This is a very touching and beautiful documentary! I’m glad he got to hear his parents side of the story and what they had went too. RIP Vanna Seang beautiful documentary, I’m glad your family was able to share this with us 🙏❤️
I cried the whole time watching this documentary ....brought back memories of my mom and dad’s refuged and hardship stories. Long story short, I was a little girl in Thailand camp with my parent around 1976-1977 and came to USA in 1979 .
I was browsing at "TH-cam" regarding Khmer's life, cooking, travels, etc.. and suddenly I found this video regarding "K-I-Dang" camp in Thailand. I was a refugee there before immigrated to USA in April 22, 1981.
This document is very "Heart-Touch" by the survivors who have been through hardship during the Khmer Rouge Regime. Every survivor during this era has a "Unique" story to tell. I've to pause for a few seconds during the sad story-telling parts because I was crying with them. While watching this video, I do not realize that "Vanna'" has passed away. Such a sad story for the family. **** I wondered whether Vanna has suffered when he was an infant. I remembered his mom mentioned that he had "Diarrhea with Blood" when he was a toddler. I'm not sure this might be the case.
Vanna is very "Curious & Intelligent" person who always wondered why, how, etc... My condolence to the "Seang Family"; especially his beautiful wife & daughter. Good Bless the "Seang's Family."
Thanks to the entire Seang’s entire family for being so incredibly honest with their feelings and emotions. This is a story that more people need to see! Saddens me to find out that the director passed away before seeing the finished film.
He did an amazing job on this. You can feel the emotion in every moment of this beautiful documentary. My heart goes out to his beautiful family and friends. They will always be in my prayers 🙏🙏.
Beautiful doco. Thank you so much for documenting the rawness of the shared Khmer experience. Heart-warming but deeply emotional. This is Cambodia. These are Cambodians. Through his parents' tales and his bravery to tell their story, you see a resillience about our culture that can never be quashed. Im from Bonnyrigg, Sydney, NSW and i thank you, my brother, for such insight and artistry. Rest in peace and "Ayoo Wheng" (have a long and prosperous life) to your family!
Thanks for this beautiful documentary Vanna! My family was very touch and I cried throughout the documentary and had few laughs too. It was even more sad at the end when it show the caption Vanna has pass at a young age. May he RIP 🙏🏼❤️ My condolences to to his families & Friends. My brother & I were born in Kao-I-Dang was good to see that. I’m hoping to go see K.I.D one day with Momma & Bro. I mention last week to a coworker that I wanted to do a documentary of how our parents life was back during the war. Good to hear and have it for later generations to know how much their parents and grandparents suffer.
My heart sank when I realized your passing. You didn't just tell your parents' story, it's your story and many more like me. I was a "KID" too in 1979-1980. I was 13 years old. Thank you Vanna. R.I.P. Memory of you will remain in me for all my life.
I cry with my parents watching this documentary. It really open many horrible memories and healing at the same time. I’m heartbroken to learned that he passed away. Thank you for sharing.🙏🏽❤️😭
Wow, what an incredible documentary! Very touching. It's authentic, captivated, moving, emotional. Glad to see that such film is directed by our very own. So proud to see that. Very sad to hear of his passing. I hope we can keep his legacy alive by make it a mandatory that schools throughout Cambodia see his film. So many families can relate to the struggles that his family had gone through and their journey. This documentary is for everyone. Especially, for those younger generation. They need to see this.
😭 RIP Vanna. 🙏 This is an incredible and powerful documentary ever made. So genuine and authentic that we could feel your parents’ sufferings and their strong will to survive. Thank you, Vanna. 🙏 Thank you to your family for sharing your journey with us. To the Seang family, we are so sorry for your loss. He was such a gentle soul and beautiful young man.
Such an awesome documentary. Thank you Vanna!!! So proud to be Cambodian. Awesome people. Awesome culture. Awesome language. -Left Cambodia 2 years old. Stayed in KID 4 years. USA 6 year old. Went back to Cambodia with my parents for the first time when I was 29 years old. Call father the same “pouk.” Proud to be Khmer.
When he said "Fish snake", I lost it. lolz, He was liked, "what the hell is 'fish snake?'" lolz, Gosh, this is so emotional I laugh and cry with them. I was born on the border of Cambodia and Thailand, all of the men in my family were all killed during the Khmer Rouge era. I too remembered my mom told me that I didn't have any clothes to wear and my mom had to tie me behind her back while trying to walk many miles barefoot from Cambodia to Thailand. Your story has touched me in so many ways. What shocked me the most was when he mentioned the mountain called, Phnom tipdpaie" That was where my mom resides during the communist. thank you for sharing this heartfelt story with us.
So Ki I got it now...I thought the name of the snake is called “fish”, but it has nothing to do with snake...😁
Yes I heard "fish snake" I thought he meant a variety of fish LOL then I remembered that many khmers from Long Beach like to translate this way khmer to english LOL so funny. So sad for Vanna family ! RIP
I happened to watch this well done documentary and it really touched my heart. I fortunately did not have the experience living under Pol Pot regime, but my oldest brother did and he died from starvation. Vanna took me to many places that I have never heard of. The only place that I could recognize was Battambang.I grew up in that province and went to school there. I saw the old bridge that I used to walk across to go to school everyday. Until April 17, 1975 my family and I fled to Thailand . We stayed in the kamp called Klong Yai right at the border of Pailin, Cambodia. We had to build our own shelter. We stayed there for 6 months until we got sponsored out to the United States. Vanna's parents are lovely couple and they are very articulated. At the end of the film, I was shocked and sadden to hear that Vanna's life was shorten. God bless his soul and his family he left behind.
Thank you for this video, for the testimony, the courage to relive painful moments and brings light to shadow side of their history. Thank you Vanna and your family for this testimony.
Rest in peace Vanna Seang.
I just can't accept the fact that the director of this touching documentary has gone away. I'm so heartbroken to acknowledge this. Vanna may your beautiful soul rest in peace. Thank you for your valuable time to create this memories and the smile of every single member of your family tree. Your wife and your daughter are really pretty. You'll be missed forever.
I too, was in a refugee camp, yet too young to remember at the age of 2. I cried many tears through this documentary only remembering what my parents told me. I was also given a sleeping aid due to how young I was when we fled from Laos to Thailand so the soldiers wouldn’t catch us. So many lives lost to seek freedom. RIP Vanna 🙏🏼
I am crying while watching this documentary. My mother was from Cambodia. She left the Khao I Dang refugee camp and came to Malaysia. She always told me about her past story in Cambodia during war. Now when I watched this documentary, I can feel how the felt. 😢 My condolences to your family. Thank you so much for do this documentary ❤
May you rest in peace, Vanna. It's such a beautiful and touching documentary story 😭❤💔
Vanna, thank you. The legacy of our mothers, fathers, family - and of us, the Cambodian diaspora, will not be forgotten because of you. RIP brother.
Too many times, I had tears during the documentary because it relates too many Khmer people and how parents survived the Killing Field as well as the millions that were killed. May you rest in Paradise, Vanna.
Dana Ses sup Dana! Long time no see bro. It’s Samone! I recognize your lord Farquad face when I was scanning the comments.
Wow! This is one of the best documentary of the lives of many Cambodian people that they had to go through during the Khmer Rouge regime. It is so sad for me to watch this. This story should be in Hollywood. Love the video and love the story. Thanks you!👍👍👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
I love your video, I am Cambodian also and my parents went thru same thing as your parents. At the end Khmer rouge killed my dad. I also lost 3 of my brothers because of starvation. I cried all thru your video so touching. I reside in the USA now. But I still have nightmare sometime. I was 7 years during that time. I am so happy I found your video. I love your parents they are so sweet and funny the same time. ❤
Very nice documentary reminds me of my mom and dad. Immigrating from China to America when I was 1yrs old. I went back to visit my family in China. Pretty lucky to be in U.S. My mom always talk about the old days. Now I'm 40 I truly understand what sacrifice my parents made for me and my sisters & brothers to be in U.S.👍
This was so well done. It’s the same story for many refugees. So many more eyes should see this. Thank you For this Mr. Vanna and your family May you Rest In Peace.
This story should resonate with every Vietnamese or Cambodian child that escaped for freedom with their families during these atrocities. My family fled for freedom too from the Vietnam war, separating families & siblings. Family missing, never to be found, with no explanation or investigations! That’s just how it was. Sad. I cried 10 minutes into the documentary seeing his father so heart broken 😅. I’m glad he got to go back to retrace their stories of hardship & pain, to give him & his siblings the freedom they have. At least his parents remained together. Mine were separated. I too went back to see where I was born. These are important historical pasts that need to be relived by the next generation to know the kinds of sacrifices our parents made for us. The coronavirus is nothing compared to what the pol pot regime genocide did to the Cambodian people. Let’s hope we learn from it and it never happens again. So sad Vanna passed at such a young age, another sorrow for his poor parents & family. He seemed like a fun loving guy. I loved how he had humour & couldn’t tell the difference between lemon grass and morning glory 😍🤪. Respect, RIP.
Vanna was a great Cambodian blood film maker who remained this precious historical documentary for generations. We will remember him. May he rest in peace.
Thank you for sharing this. I like many of the other viewers am an Australian raised Cambodian, whose parents went through tragic circumstances like this. It was a pleasure to follow the family journey and get a better understanding of what our parents went through. It has inspired me to travel back to Cambodia one day to find the story of our roots. 🙏🙏🙏🙏
A touchable documentary film that makes me cry with hope. It flashes me back to understand lives of our people in pre, during, and post of the Khmer Rouge regime. 🥰🇰🇭 Shout out to Bong Vanna and his teammates for this amazing project!!!!
I found your documentary in trying to prepare for my own trip back to Cambodia and in trying to share my parent’s story with my own children. Thank you Vanna and your whole family for taking us along on this amazing trip. Your documentary is a family history and an amazing gift of love to your daughter for many years to come. I cried for my grandparents who I will never have an opportunity to meet. I cried for my parents for the lost of their siblings. I felt your father’s pain and anguish. They bury and guard their pain so deep. It’s the only thing they have left of their families. In telling your family’s story, you also told all of our stories of heart ache and pain. Of hopes and dreams lost and of lives robbed. But also of hope and resilience restored.
It's joyful and sad watching the documentary. Bless Vanna and his parents for his courage to share their stories. I was born during that era in K.I.D among many other kids. We all can relate to their story. Toward the end of this story seeing Vanna in the hospital bed holding his camera 📷. You can tell he definitely love what he do. Thank you for putting this documentary together 🙏 . 💯
How did Vanna pass away?
It is very brave and strong of your parents to share their personal lives experienced and journey through their hardships. Not too many Cambodian parents can do that. I agreed with the people who went through the Khmer rough time. Everyone who lived during those times will have more of an emotional connection and can relate to your documentary. Some areas are more harsh to survive than others. My uncles were given away and killed. My mom has only her sister who survived the holocaust, the rest were killed or died from starvation. You are lucky Vanna that your parents decided to relive their history just for you. I am also pleased that you are doing this documentary. What a misfortunes for your mother, but she is the most fortunate one. It's always a pleasure for me to see compassionate family. Thank you for your story. Perhaps, one day, I will have the courage to visit my homeland and to relive my past. Please embrace each other us Koun Khmer and help restore our Country again for the freedom of human rights and to bring liberty and justice for those who have lost their lives for us. May the spirits of your ancestors be with you and protect you and your families through out. What you are doing take courage and compassion. I salute you!!!
What a beautiful documentary. Thank you for sharing your family’s story. May you rest in peace Vanna. You’re a beautiful soul.
Thank you for informing us of his passing. OMG! I am crying a River of tears watching this film. So difficult for me to watch through. I am only 1/2 way through. I had to stop the video to stop crying. Then I saw your comment made many months ago. My sadness became more. I feels so sorry for his poor parents who has another loves one to mourn. I am so sorry for your lost. You are so lucky to have him even though it was not long. He was a talented & beautiful human being. His parents seems so familiar to me. I felt like I knew them. I even thought I met them somewhere. If my parents see this film, they might know. I was in the same area as his parents. The public kitchen, my resident was next to this public Kitchen. It has been 40 plus years had past. I had three very vivid memories of these places. In each place there are stories. I lived through this night mare. I had all my memories in full details. I went to school to learn to how write stories. But I found it very difficult to talk about it. I even forced myself to go to a mental health institution to try to get treated. I was helped by God already. In KID camp I came Face to Face with one of the people of Pol Pot who severely tortured me for years. I was so shocked. I followed this young woman to her home. Then went home to get a weapon to protects myself. At the exact spot where I met her suddenly appeared a woman Angel with Wings. I am still clueless as to who Angels are. I am told in a frantic way to go back home. That I must forget about this tragic period. I must start a new life & focus on moving forward. That I must not thinks of getting revenge. That God knows all who committed wrong. That God will punishes those who wrong me. That God will take revenge for me. That they will face punishments accordingly. That I try to live a normal life. For 40 years I put the vivid bad memories in a corner of my brain. She helped me with what went wrong with my brain. She made the severe Brain traumas gone. I focus only on living my life & learning. God who sent his Angeles to heal me. If God had not intervened I would have gone mad. I was told by the Angels not to think about this period & moved on. But I am born with a photographic memory. I can not forgets & I do not want to forget so that I can writes about this period. It was God who saved Cambodia from being wipe out. He made Pol Pot gone mad. This prompted Vietnam to invaded Cambodia. In doing so saved all the survivors. My father who was a slave to a lower rank leader. He was captured to be their Watch & Radio repairman. He was told by the leader about their planned to kill off all whom they forced into the countryside. I heard many people spoke of their planned too. Then when I was forced to dig mass graves one or two story deep & the length of a Football field. I learned one of their secret planned. Another was to kill people off by working to death & starvation. I witnessed these two plans. I was taken in secrecy to dig these massive graves. Those who also worked this job knew that they will be killed after it was done. It came true. I believed I am the only one left to tell this. This was the very reason why God saved me & continues to saved my life so that I can bear witness to this tragic event. I heard many stories during the four years of hell on Earth. I faced their second planned when I escaped. The Khmer Rouge people put me in this secret group because they found out I was born strong. They deemed I can be of use to them in digging the massive graves since I was so strong. I was just a kid of 7 years old. After two years or during what they called the new Onka I was put in the right age group peer workers. But, the old regime captured me and buried me alive. God sent a team of his Angels to bring me out. I kept walking back into my Camp. I was deemed a dead person walking. They treated me like I am a ghost. I never knew why. But I was freed to do as I wish for a very short period. I thought I was freed. After a few times trying & especially they met with God’s male team of Angels, they stopped trying to kill me. I fall back into a group of working to death. They works you to death. A 12 hours hard labor jobs & 7 days a week. And they do not give anything to eat or used. My coworkers died off fast. I was also dying again. They dragged me to an open field where they let me to die just like what they did with all my coworkers. I did not know they died. I was about to die when a female Angel came & saved me. This Angel prepared me for the Corona Virus. I had been infected 9 times. I treated myself with the skills taught to me by this one Angel. She is a Herbalist used to help save people without the use of God’s power. The reason why God did saved my life this way was to teaches me the knowledge to save my life in future times. After, I was cure of the incurable infectious virus. My coworkers was not fed by the demonic regime. People was finding foods on their own. They ate animals that should not be eaten. Became infected. A deadly Corona virus family came to life. Quickly killed off all my coworkers. Included me. There was an outbreaks of this virus. But no one knew what it is. It came to light for me when in 2019 to 2020 during when I was infected 9 times. I now knows that it was this virus. Because I vividly remembered everything about this virus. A familiarity arrived. I tested it out my theory & within the amount of time that I was cured in modern time perfectly matched with what happened when the Angel who saved my life. I never trusted this Angel still. So I analyzed the ingredients. I dug deep. And found why it worked. I quickly tried the remedy. Within one hour I was fine like I first took it. Now I realized why God kept bring me back to life. He was using me. I hold the knowledge of surviving any bioweapons. I am forbidden to share this. Is because there are reasons why this virus came to life again.
Without food to eat I was in trouble with Pol Pot regime again. If you seems sickened & weaken, they will kill you off. I thought to myself what use is it for God to sent his doctor to save my life when I am not even allowed to eat the food I found? After being brought back to life, I was placed in a group of adult women who they deemed will survived giving some very little Rice of Porridge to eat. But they won’t give me any to eat & I am forbidden to eat what I find. Now I am asking for God to kill me. God sent a small female Angel five feet tall. She worked her magic to keep me alive & well. She came into my body. During work time I do not see her. Only when I am off work that I was seen speaking by myself. I never knew this for 2 years. I only noticed strange starred, being afraid of me, & giving me the silent treatment. For two years I do not remembered eating anything. I did not know that food is the source of life. I do not know what kept me alive? One day to liberation day by the Vietnamese’s Army after work she came out of nowhere. She was trying to say goodbye to me. She told me that her job is done that she has other children to cares for. That I am not the only one who God tasked to works with. She told me that from that day forward that my life will get back to normal. That I will be reunited with my family. These are the very things I wants to hear. I was sudden feeling finally free. Then came when she said she is not human but an Angel tasked to cares for me. I said, no wondered my Coworkers treated me so strange. Just days before, I kept asking my Coworkers why they treated me like I am crazy? They said it was because they saw me talking to myself. I said to the Angel that no wonder people thought I was crazy talking to no one. But I was talking to her. Quickly, she made them see her & gone to gathered them around. She told them to put their head down & they did. Once their heads are down & put her hands on two people. She spoke to them. I knew she was talking about me. I do not know what Angel is. But knew what a friend is. Thus I thought she could not be talking bad about me. Right after she was done talking. In an angry mode I was talking to the adults. I asked them was my Angel real to them? Were they not abled to touch her? They said yes to two questions. Now, I made them feel sorry. I said it was not right for them to treated me like they did. While I was talking to my coworkers & being mad, my Angel disappeared. The next day just a few hours before everyone are freed I was looking for my Angel. She was no where to be found. I realized what the Angel was talking to them about. She told them that they do not know where she is. They all said they do not know when I asked each one. To this day, I can not forget her image and her story. I took drawing & technical drawing so that I can draw her image. For six months I learned nothing from my Art Teacher. Because he had me learn on my own. In College I was busy learning in College, working full time, & be parents to my siblings. Some years gone by I took private arts lessons. I realized she was no different from the first so I stopped going after the first day. My sister & I both realized we found a bad art teacher & stopping attending. One thing let to another my wish to learn to draw got put off for a very long time. Damn! It was a shocker when I learned in my family gene was a gift God gave to my parents. The ability to draw without learning. My young brother gone this ability. My sister’s older child also has this ability. And they are good at it. For since I saw Angels, I wanted to paints their images. I kept drawing flower blossom leaves to practice.
Wow what a beautiful documentary! Thank you for producing this story just like what my parents went through in the 70s.
God Bless Vanna, and my thoughts to his whole family. I know this Doc echos the same feelings for most Khmer who were effected by the KR and returned back home for the first time. This chokes me up having experienced the same when I went back to meet the family i never me. Thankfully this is archived in TH-cam forever.
As many have mentioned, very touching documentary. Thanks for capturing these moments , Vanna . RIP
I went through that terrible pol pot regime when I was 8 yrs old. I saw in my own eyes ,walking with my friend to look for fish, a guy was forced to dig his own hole while the two Khmer Rouge soldiers with guns stood guard him. After he had finished digging the hole, one of the soldiers took the hoe from his hand and hit him to the back of his head into the hole and buried him. During the invasion of Vietnamese, my mother, my younger sister and I escaped the regime to live in Srakeo 1 camp , Srakeo 2 camp and Keo I Dang camp. Now I live in Canada. The place where I missed the most was Keo I Dang camp. Because of the generosity of the UNHCR I was be able to go to school in the camp. Life as a student, I had lots of good memories there. But I never forget the horrible thing I witnessed. Thanks Vanna for sharing your family’s life with us . No one will understand till those who went through. So sorry to hear you passed away. I don’t know you. But I want to wish your beautiful soul rest in peace.
Your docu-story was beautifully shot. Your family exudes warmth and love despite what they've been through. I was in Khao I Dang in 1982-1983 and the only thing i remembered was the dry red dirt and the day i cut my heel open and had to get stitches. I will look at my scar now and remember how lucky we were to have made it! May you Rip Vanna xx
I accidentally found out about this film. I am glad and grateful for your film and up load. As an Aussie myself, I am sad you are gone. How Vanna. God bless your family and daughter. I watch it for the fourth time. Amazing, I have also so much memories and many stories to tell. I lost both my mum and dad, a brother, a nephew and both sides of grand man and grand dads, many many cousins. I was also at Battambang Province.
Excellent job. It showed me a different part of my families story I never thought to ask about before. Thank you for making this. Amazing work.
I cried every time i watched this video. I watched 3 times already. I felt so much touching to those elder people also my parents, grand parents lives during those darkest days. I love all seconds in this video from the beginning to the end, especially The parents talking and act the situations when they were living there (Khao I Dang) and the son listening with strong mind. Really respectful! I hope other family can make the video like this to show our next generation kids. There may other family which was facing the different tough time. Wish this family the best.
Thank you for this documentary. My mom and I are in tears . It reminded her of the past .
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing, powerful, and heart-wrenching story. My father was also murdered by the Khmer Rouge and my family and I took a similar route from Battambong to KID in 1979. I was seven years old then. This story is the story of hundreds of thousands of Cambodian people who fled the country to KID after the Vietnam invasion. Vanna did an incredible job telling it and showing the amount of pain and sorrow the Khmer people still have left to heal and reconcile with all the loss and suffering they had to endure. This is my first time watching Vanna's work and I was immediately inspired by him. I'm so sad, and hurt and so sorry to his family, friends and love ones that he is no longer with us.
how can anyone dislike this? It’s such a good story
They're weird man
The dislike are people who wish they were there lol Love the video. You have an English accent mate?
Savanary Yuet yes, I’m from the US
Such heart wrenching, can not stop crying at times. So many can relate as for myself.
You'll always have people in this world where beating other people down is their way of feeling better. Its really sad because they are hurting inside.
They looked shell-shocked. Even without an attachment to Khmer history, this film was just so valuable in appreciating early life trauma + PTSD of genocide. It was heavy pretty much immediately but still good so watchable and heartwarming. Very well done.
Thanks for making this movie..my parent’s immigrated from cambodia 🇰🇭 and I can definitely relate to every aspect of this film...it was very touching and moving
RIP Vanna. Thank you for making this. As a Cambodian American, I have a better understanding what my parents struggled through and a greater appreciation for what I have.
A VERY BEAUTIFUL documentary of our homeland Vanna. 🙏❤️ 😢 RIP brother.
I had tears in my eyes when your parents were telling their story. My parents were in the similar situation. I was one of the kids in that camp. I don’t remember much, but your documentary brought back some memories living there. Thanks for sharing. -USA
Makes you think and put things in perspective when you watch this documentary. Sad what his family had to go through to find a better life.
Grew up along the cambodian community, so many i know whose families were affected by those dark times, great doco so emotional, may he continue to rest in paradise, so heartbreaking for the family to have lost their son at such a young age.
Watching this video bring back all the sad memories during those horrific times, my whole entire families was almost wide out of this lovely planet. I've known recognized that place where my families and I was walked pass by while we tried to escape. Thanks for the video.
Beautiful documentary on a tragedy that should've never in a million years happened to Cambodia. Thanks for sharing this. Rest in peace Vanna 🙏.