The Future's Past - Creating Cambodia

Director's Statement

"The Future's Past throws an intense and relentless light on the mechanisms behind genocides. It doesn't primarily tell about the Tribunal itself, but rather examines its role as a catalyst in the Cambodian society. The Khmer Rouge Tribunal initiates a process of reflection and introspection among victims as well as perpetrators.
The film’s main characters are three young Cambodians who experience how the Tribunal impacts their families. As they delve into their own families' pasts, they are challenged with the ultimate question: when can you be made accountable for what you do – or don't do?

At the same time that the youngsters' perception grows, so does the audience's. What the youths discover about their families is part of a learning process which will influence each of their lives. The film is therefore about coping with the present and in doing so, actively shaping the future.

As an Austrian director I find this subject matter relevant since the process of dealing with our own recent history has not yet been completed – as in many other European countries. In short, this film is not only about Cambodia, it is also about us."

Susanne Brandstätter