Growing up in Dallas, Texas, Cambodian-American Socheata Poeuv thought she knew her parents. Their quirky customs, in her mind, marked them as strange immigrants and crippled them from keeping up with the times and with American culture. It wasn't until adulthood that Poeuv learned the secrets of her family's past and understood their incredible resilience amidst the genocide of the Khmer Rouge. Her consequent journey through Cambodia inspired the film "New Year Baby" (2006) which chronicles her discoveries.
The documentary is Poeuv's filmmaking debut, and it has already caught the attention of over 25 film festivals and won numerous prizes, including several "Best Documentary" awards. During the premiere at the 2006 International Documentary Film Festival in Amsterdam, it garnered the prestigious "Movies That Matter" human rights cinema award from Amnesty International in a unanimous decision.
The film was also broadcast nationally on PBS Independent Lens during May of 2008, an opportunity that bolstered Poeuv's project promise: to share the inspiring documentary with 100 million people over the course of 10 years. She hopes that her story of discovery and acceptance of a guarded past will reach communities and classrooms in America, as well as cities here and abroad most intimately familiar with conflict and injustice.
Want to count yourself among one of the 100 million touched by "New Year Baby?" Poeuv will bring her award-winning documentary to Tufts tonight, so that students can soak in the "love, joy and pardon" of her journey. There will be a screening of the film at 7 p.m. in Cabot Auditorium, followed by a question-and- answer period with Poeuv and a reception. Admission is free.
