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Law on Film
Law on Film explores the rich connections between law and film. Law is critical to many films, even to those that are not obviously about the legal world. Film, meanwhile, tells us a lot about the law, especially how it is perceived and portrayed. The podcast is created and hosted by Jonathan Hafetz, a lawyer, legal scholar, and film buff. Each episode, Jonathan and a guest expert will examine a film that is noteworthy from a legal perspective. What does the film get right about the law and what does it get wrong? Why is law important to understanding the film? And what does the film teach about law's relationship to the larger society and culture that surrounds it. Whether you're interested in law, film, or an entertaining discussion, there will be something here for you.
Law on Film
The Killing Fields (1984) (Guest: Alexandra Meise) (episode 55)
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The Killing Fields (1984), directed by Roland Joffe, depicts the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia and the genocide that followed, which resulted in the death of approximately 2-3 million people. The film is based on the experiences of New York Times journalist Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterson) and Cambodian journalist Dith Pran (Haing S. Ngor). It provides a haunting depiction of mass violence as well as a moving story about these two colleagues and friends. In the wake of the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia, it is worth revisiting a film that is as powerful and relevant today as when it was released.
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
2:16 The Khmer Rouge and Year Zero
6:04 The U.S. contribution to the Cambodian genocide
8:14 The role of journalists in Cambodia and conflict zones
17:34 The treatment of journalists under international law
18:46 The killing fields and the film’s impact
24:08 Sydney Schanberg and Dith Pran, and journalistic ethics
34:10 The ECCC and transitional justice in Cambodia
42:44 Journalists and international criminal proceedings
47:50 Haing Ngor and his tragic fate
53:26 Civil society endeavors to bring history to life
55:21 The fall of Phnom Penh
59:03 The failed attempt to get Dith Pran out
1:00:15 The risks facing journalists today
Further reading:
Becker, Elizabeth, When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution (1988)
Brown, Mark, “Genocide Films, Public Criminology, Collective Memory,” 53 (6) The British Journal of Criminology (2013)
Chandler, David P., The Pol Pot Regime (1991)
Kiernan, Ben, Genocide in Cambodia (Revised ed. 2008)
Ngor, Haing (with Warner, Roger), Survival in the Killing Fields (1987)
Nunn, Nora, "Rose-Colored Genocide: Hollywood, Harmonizing Narratives, and the Cinematic Legacy,” 14(2) Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal 65 (2020)
Schanberg, Sydney H., The Death and Life of Dith Pran (1985)
Shawcross, William, Sideshow (1979)
Law on Film is created and produced by Jonathan Hafetz. Jonathan is a professor at Seton Hall Law School. He has written many books and articles about the law. He has litigated important cases to protect civil liberties and human rights while working at the ACLU and other organizations. Jonathan is a huge film buff and has been watching, studying, and talking about movies for as long as he can remember.
For more information about Jonathan, here's a link to his bio: https://law.shu.edu/profiles/hafetzjo.html
You can contact him at jonathanhafetz@gmail.com
You can follow him on X (Twitter) @jonathanhafetz
You can follow the podcast on X (Twitter) @LawOnFilm
You can follow the podcast on Instagram @lawonfilmpodcast