The feature documentary Broken Courage by Canadian filmmakers David Peck and Nathanael Draper will make its world premiere at the Cambodia International Film Festival (CIFF) later this month.

Peck of Oakville, Ont., and Draper of Vancouver directed and wrote the film, which was produced by Peck under his Toronto-based non-governmental organization SoChange with Oakville-based SuonDial Productions.

The documentary also has Janice R. Moro as executive producer, Savina Sirik as supervising producer, Silong Dork and Hirra Farooqi as consulting producers, and George Turnbull as impact producer, with lead consultant Vichheka Sok.

It is supported and sponsored by Toronto organizations including innovation & imagination health + wellness and Ontario Council for International Cooperation. 

Other supporters and sponsors include Shalem Mental Health Network, the Genocide Foundation of Canada, and the SoChange Foundation.

Currently, the feature does not have a distributor or a sales agent. Peck tells Playback Daily that he is actively looking for a distributor and plans to do a full festival tour, where he hopes to meet with distributors and find interest in the film.

Broken Courage follows Suon Rottana, a Khmer Rouge Cambodian army soldier, prisoner of war and landmine amputee, who confronts and shares his difficult past in order to heal and educate future generations about the destruction of war and the power of healing trauma.

The doc will screen at CIFF on June 27.

CIFF went on a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic and will run June 27 to July 3. It is organized by the Cambodia Film Commission and the Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre with support from the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts.

The festival will present a total of 140 films from over 40 countries. This year, there will be a special focus on Australian cinema to commemorate the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Cambodia and Australia.

Image courtesy of Pender PR.