The Cohen Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies kicked off its spring series discussing the Cambodian Genocide on Thursday, March 8 at the Keene Public Library with a screening of the 2017 film “First They Killed My Father.” The film is an adaptation of survivor, activist and author Loung Ung’s memoir of the same name.
On Friday, March 9, the Cohen Center also welcomed photographer Eleanor Briggs to the Mason Library for a gallery walk featuring over 30 photographs taken in Cambodia.
Brigg’s gallery walk immediately followed a lecture by survivor and KSC alumni Bodie Barton, who detailed his childhood experiences in a Cambodian labor camp.
From 1975 to 1979 an estimated 3 million Cambodians died in the Cambodian Genocide, under the rule of Pol Pot, Loung Ung was forced into a Khmer Rouge (officially the Communist Party of Kampuchea) work camp alongside her family at seven-years-old. Her father, mother and older sister died during the genocide, and she survived along with her brother and sister. The three surviving siblings were adopted by American sponsors through efforts by religious and humanitarian organizations.
Ung decided to write her story when Pot died in 1998.
“He said he did what he did in Cambodia for love. I became so angry. Killing millions of people is not an act of love. I decided I wanted to negotiate his legacy with my personal story of love. Love does not make genocide. I believe that stories are umbilical cords that connect us to humanity. If you do it well, it crosses boundaries of race and history and time,” said Ung.
Ung said she found inspiration and comfort in Viktor Frankl’s 1946 book “Man’s Search For Meaning.”
“The book exposed me to the idea of writing as a tool for therapeutic purposes and helped me realize that I wasn’t alone in the struggle of being affected by war and conflict,” Ung said.
Ung added, “We all experience trauma, but we’re all survivors. It illuminates the question of what we need to heal. For me, it was writing and telling my story so that others can learn from the past and find their own healing.”
KSC Community Director Isabelle Handy attended Thursday’s screening of the film adaptation.
“What sticks with me the most is how child soldiers are brought into conflicts, and the work that needs to be done in terms of demilitarization, and reintegration of children after that conflict,” said Handy, who was referencing Ung’s conscription under the Khmer Rouge as a child soldier.
Brigg’s gallery walk took place in the Mason Library after Barton’s lecture, and featured photos taken over a period of thirty years, documenting the country from a cultural and environmental perspective through her work with the International Crane Foundation, and the Wildlife Conservation Society. The gallery will be on display until April 9 in the Mason Library.
“This is an exhibit that came together quickly for the spring series,” Briggs said. “It encompasses decades of my work. I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside people who sadly were personally affected by what happened, and it’s important that people gain an empathetic view of the people and stories that came out of these horrors.”
Photography enthusiast Aaron Lipsky attended the gallery walk.
“I’ve always been interested in photographers that travel the world and showcase other cultures. I had seen some of Brigg’s work a while back, and I’m impressed with what I saw today,” said Lipsky.
Dr. Kate DeConinck, who is the Director of the Cohen Center, said the spring series on the Cambodian Genocide is an opportunity for people to learn about the history of Cambodia and the people who were affected by the genocide.
“The goal we had was to provide an opportunity for people to learn about the history and current dynamics of Cambodia today,” DeConinck said. “We’re so fortunate to have a strong community of people who want to learn about Cambodia, and oftentimes we hear how little is known about it. We hope this series helps to raise awareness.”
According to DeConinck, a virtual teaching workshop on the Cambodian Genocide will take place on Wednesday, April 17. Ung will also be speaking at KSC on Wednesday, April 3 in the Mountain View Room 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Ryan Pacheco can be contacted at
rpacheco@kscequinox.com
