Director Angelina Jolie’s biographical historical thriller “First They Killed My Father,” has released new a featurette ahead of its Netflix debut. The upcoming film is based on Loung Ung’s memoir of the same name.
In the featurette, Jolie describes Ung as a “dear friend” – the two became close after Jolie read her book after it first came out in 2000. “In a way, I’m doing this for her, her family, for Cambodia,” the director says. The film is based a true story of Ung’s experiences during the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and the Cambodian genocide that killed an estimated 1.7 million people. Ung co-wrote the script in collaboration with Jolie.
The director also reveals that the film is a family affair. Jolie’s son Maddox has been involved in the production from the very beginning. The fifteen-year-old has been working behind the scenes, helping Jolie with the script. In addition to the project being a learning experience, Jolie also wanted to get her son’s perspective. “I didn’t want to see a child go through war,” she explains. “I want to know how it felt.”
“First They Killed My Father” has already premiered in Cambodia and will be released by Netflix later this year.