Schedule:
5:00 PM - Doors Open
5:30 PM - Greetings
5:35 PM - Film Screening
6:10 PM - Post Screening Q&A
Refreshments
7:00 PM - Program Ends

Synopsis

The Healing Circle: Songs, Stories, and Friendship is an intimate and visually experimental short documentary that celebrates the resilience of Cambodian women through the healing power of storytelling, art, and music. Centering on Celena Chin, Saroth Loeuk, and Pich Houy, the film follows their remarkable journeys from childhoods in Cambodia to surviving the Cambodian Genocide, seeking refuge in the United States, and rebuilding their lives in Chicago.

Through heartfelt storytelling facilitated by Ada Cheng, these women share their memories of survival, loss, and the strength it took to forge new beginnings. Interwoven with their stories are performances of traditional Cambodian songs sung with deep emotion by Chin, Loeuk, and Houy. They are joined by Punisa Pov, Resident Artist of the National Cambodian Heritage Museum and Killing Fields Memorial, whose roneat ak playing and vocals are accompanied by the Crossing Borders Music string quartet, performing world premiere arrangements by Rasa Mahmoudian.

The documentary delves into the broader history of the Cambodian Genocide, which began on April 17, 1975, when the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia. Over the next four years, more than two million people perished. Now commemorated annually as the Cambodian Day of Remembrance, April 17 serves as a time to honor the lives lost and celebrate the ongoing resilience of the Cambodian people.

Visually, the film employs a split-screen technique and superimposed imagery to create a multidimensional portrait of its subjects, challenging traditional notions of space and time. This experimental approach reflects the intersections of trauma, healing, and creativity, adding depth to the women’s stories and journeys of survival and renewal.

At its heart, The Healing Circle is a tribute to the courage of Cambodian women whose voices are often unheard. It is a powerful testament to the enduring impact of storytelling, music, and community on healing and preserving cultural identity.

In partnership with Alliance Française Chicago and Asian Pop-Up Cinema

DIRECTOR: Rithy Panh
WRITTERS: Pierre Erwan Guillaume, Rithy Panh
STARRING: Irène Jacob, Grégoire Colin, Cyril Gueï, Bunhok Lim, Chhel Chamrong, Roeun Narith

SYNOPSIS

Democratic Kampuchea (Cambodia) - 1978. Three French journalists are invited by the Khmer Rouge to conduct an exclusive interview of the regime’s leader, Pol Pot. The country seems ideal. But behind the Potemkin village, the Khmer Rouge regime is declining and the war with Vietnam threatens to invade the country. The regime is looking for culprits, secretly carrying out a large scale genocide. Under the eyes of the journalists, the beautiful picture cracks, revealing the horror. Their journey progressively turns into a nightmare. Freely inspired by journalist Elizabeth Becker’s account in When The War Was Over.

The film first showed in May 2024 at Cannes in Premiere and also screened in competition at Mediterrane festival.

FRANCOPHONIE 2025 SCREENING

France, Cambodia, Taiwan, Qatar, Turkey | Drama | 2024 | 112 mins.
In French and Cambodian w/ English subtitles

Please Note: Ticketing for this free screening does not guarantee entry. Entry is on a first-come, first-serve basis and subject to available seating.

Reserved seats tickets holders must redeem their tickets no later than 15 minutes before showtimes. The festival has the right to release any unclaimed reserved seats 15 minutes before showtimes.

As part of the Women I Admire Essay Contest, the National Cambodian Heritage Museum is hosting an International Women's Day Celebration.

We will feature the essay contest winner. There will also be a community screening of Girl Rising, followed by a short panel discussion.

• Door opens at 1pm and screening starts at 1:30pm
• Watch the trailer: https://youtu.be/7ooaHJCMWpk