“Pol Pot Dancing” frames the long reach and heavy weight of history through the multigenerational lineage of classical Cambodian dance. Chea Samy, a star dancer at the Cambodian royal court, lovingly raises her husband’s little brother as her own son, who she later discovers has become the Khmer Rouge’s violent leader, Pol Pot. As one of the only dancers to survive the regime’s brutal genocide, Samy returns to Phnom Penh determined to preserve the knowledge of traditional dance. One of her first pupils, Sophiline Cheam, continues to bear this lineage by teaching and choreographing historically relevant, site-specific dances for a classical Cambodian dance ensemble. Archival and contemporary footage trace the transformative resilience of these culture bearers as they channel embodied memory toward historical redemption.

Venue accessibility: The entrance to the screening room is at 600 The Embarcadero. Once you enter the gates, there is an office to your left with a front desk. The person at the front desk will escort you to the elevator to get to the screening room.