Colour, 54 minutes (1995)
In a post-Khmer Rouge society, Cambodia still continues to fight with
the ghosts of war. The dominance of landmines throughout rural villages remains a lingering danger and daily threat to the
lives of innocent civilians. This issue has spread to become a widespread crisis, as over one thousand people across the globe
are killed each month due to landmines. Even as war in the effected areas is in the past, these poverty-stricken regions remain
helpless in a struggle with the "toxic waste of war."
One of five David A. Feingold documentaries on Cambodia, recently released on DVD for public viewing by Documentary Educational Resources (DER), Silent Sentinels,
Coward's War features interviews with the civilians
who have experienced death and amputation firsthand. These individuals are not the soldiers the weapons are intended to harm,
they are mothers, fathers, and children. The film also includes interviews with the contemporary Khmer Rouge soldiers aiming
to "liberate" Cambodia, as they continue
to employ mines in new locations and discuss their combat tactics.
Only recently have certain organizations come to the aid of countries facing the issue of landmine- removal.
These organizations, however, tend to focus mainly on the wealthier countries (such as Kuwait) that can afford to support the process of mine deactivation. Silent Sentinels, Coward's War is
an important, informative film that provides a voice for the thousands of innocent people who have been tormented, displaced,
and killed due to landmines.
More information, and a short
clip from the documentary, can be found on the Documentary Educational Resources (DER) website:
www.der.org/films/silent-sentinels.html
Information reproduced with the kind permission of Documentary Educational Resources (DER)
