The New Year Baby: Documentary, Movie Review Example

• What family secret had Socheata’s family kept from her for roughly 21 years?

It was a kept a secret from her that the family she has known the whole time was not really her real family. Her two sisters were her cousins, her mother had another husband before her father and her brother was not really her brother.

• What are the names of Socheata’s two sisters?

Mala and Leakhena

• What is her brother’s name?

Bros

• Did you find the animations in the film effective? Give to examples and tell what you thought was good about these.

Yes, the animations in the film helped so much in bringing pictures of history more appealing and compelling in relation to the story that is being narrated in the film.

• What was behind the mismatch between Socheata’s mom and dad? How had such different people come to be married?

They found each other and were married in the Khmer Rouge. Both surviving the Cambodian genocide, they specifically got together to create a new family and help each other get out for Cambodia to spend their ‘new life’ together with their children.

• Why does Socheata’s mom think she has a better family background than her dad?

She, being a Christian, noted that her beliefs were much better than that of her father’s which was based on Buddhism [a belief she never understood so much about and did not become so much interested with in the first place].

• Describe the village house of the former Khmer Rouge cadre. How is the space beneath the house used? What happens to Socheata’s dad during the visit there? What seems to be the reason?

The former Khmer Rouge Cadre was used to keep Cambodian refugees as prisoners, forcing them to work for the authorities. Their minds and their way of thinking were directed by the authorities and they had no sense of freedom whatsoever. During the visit, it was clear that the father had everything in his mind as if time has not erased anything at all from his memory.

• What does Socheata’s father say about Buddhism having failed to punish the Khmer Rouge? How does he used the idea of bad karma to explain what seems to have gone wrong here? Why have so few been held responsible for the genocide?

Buddhism is basically grounded on the ideals of human freedom so long as they [the people] do not harm others. The belief of the perpetrators of the genocide specifically believed that they are doing something for their community; that they are setting the paths straight for Cambodia’s future. However, although this is not true, such belief upholds the fact that they believed they are doing what was necessary and they used their freedom to enslave others. Bad karma was used by the father to provide a distinction on how the hand of destiny directed such situation to people who may have done something wrong in their lives and for those others who have done nothing but good, bad karma pushes them to get out, move on and embrace better lives.

• Why according to Socheata’s older sisters [cousins] was her dad the real hero for them?

He was the one who looked for them, to take them away from the children’s camps and bring them back to their aunt, her mother. ‘

• When Socheata was born, what sign did she have that in Cambodian folk beliefs indicated she would be lucky?

Being born in the middle of a social commotion presented her as the mere hope the that community and basically her family needed; this is the reason why they considered her to be the family’s lucky charm.

• What ceremony is performed belatedly for Socheata at the end of the video? Who conducts the ceremony? Where is this done and how many times do Socheata and her father how to pay respects in the traditional Buddhist way? Watch and county. Do you know what each bow is for?

The wedding ceremony of her parents was celebrated at the end of the film. The father performs the Baci which is a ritual that involves tying of strings around the wrist. Each bow represents life, health and good luck.

• Why do you think it was so hard for Socheata to get her parents to open up and tell her about the part? When did things start to open up more? What setting where they in?

Being Cambodians, and having been able to experience the years of the genocide, her parents have likely been traumatized of the situation and they believed that letting their children know about the situation could cause trauma just the same. However, at the point of actually being able to move on, having their children acquire their college degrees and having better lives, it was easier for them to break the truth to the family.

• What technique did Socheata’s mom use to distract the guards in the work camp? How was this shown in the animation?

Being a beautiful woman, she did not have any problem distracting their attention. In the animation, this was merely represented as a the mother’s specific use of her asset, her being charming and attractive.