Educational Media Reviews Online

Last Night I Saw You Smiling begins quietly with artistic shots and remains a quiet look at the displaced families of the White Building in Cambodia. Kavich Neang films his family and their neighbors as they pack up all of their belongings while worrying about what comes next for them. Distrust of the government’s promise of checks for their displacement and the logistical stressors of moving - negotiating with movers, arguing with family - swirl around the dark history of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge that clearly impacts the psyches of many of the older generations of these families.

Although a poignant slice of life in these families’ lives, unfortunately the documentary fails to clearly and interestingly demonstrate the significance of this upheaval. Disjointed moments and many overly long shots of disheveled rooms leave the viewer detached and confused. It is not until 10 minutes in that there is a written explanation of the history of the White Building and the connection to the Khmer Rouge. Perhaps a different style of documenting or a more varied style - more interviews or historical background interweaved among the shots of the families' homes - may have created a clearer and more powerful picture of these families and their unfortunate circumstances. Quiet ‘slice of life’, observational documentaries can be incredibly engaging, but this sadly missed opportunities to do so. Not recommended.

Awards:
NETPAC Award, International Film Festival of Rotterdam; Special Jury Prize, Jeonju International Film Festival; Student Jury Prize, Tokyo FilmEx

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