Director Poeuv '02 Screens 'New Year Baby' at Smith

Media Credit: Courtesy of newyearbaby.net
Socheata Poeuv '02 will hold a question-and-answer session tonight after the Southeast Asian Alliance's screening of her award-winning film, "New Year Baby."

smithsophian.com
Hannah Leung
2/28/08

In the post Academy Awards rush - Cynthia Wade, a Smith alumna, snagged an impressive looking statuette for her film, "Freehold," - there should be another director on the buzz list-Socheata Poeuv, '02. Pouev is the director of "New Year Baby," a documentary that has already won numerous awards, including Amnesty International's "Movies That Matter" Human Rights Award and the Best Documentary at the 25th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival. Poeuv herself will be coming to Smith this Thursday, Feb. 28, for a question-and-and answer session after the screening of "New Year Baby."

"New Year Baby" details Poeuv's journey to Cambodia to learn about her parents' life under the Khmer Rouge. Lasting from 1975-1979, an estimated 1.5 million people were killed during the Khmer Rouge regime. Born on New Year's Day in a refugee camp in Thailand, Poeuv's family immigrated to the United States, where she spent her childhood. "New Year Baby" tells the story of Poeuv's family and their struggles in becoming "Americans."

Socheata Poeuv, who received a B.A. in English in 2002, loved watching documentaries and PBS as a child-staple pastimes for many American children. Growing up in Texas, however, Poeuv lacked resources to contextualize her status as a Cambodian immigrant. Books and documentaries thus played a significant role in her search for roots.

"I grew up in a place where Asian Americans didn't have much public space…One of my biggest influences was this documentary I saw when I was 16, called 'A.K.A. Don Bonus.' It was the only other documentary I've ever seen that was about a Cambodian immigrant living in America. It really influenced me, and made me think that maybe I could possibly make a film like this," Poeuv said.

Another influence of Poeuv's is Art Spiegelman's "Maus," a comic book based on Spiegelman's parents' survival of the Holocaust.

Poeuv said, "Spiegelman used comics to depict something serious. And I use animation in my film. His novel is what really gave me the idea. It reflects on many things, and for me, it really captures my experience of being a child of genocide survivors."

5PAN member and VSA Co-Chair, American studies major, Thuy Le '09 applauds the screening of the film.

Le said, "I [think] that Southeast Asia is the most forgotten or overlooked area of Asia. Smith provides a history course for almost every part of the world, but there's nothing on the history or culture of Southeast Asia. This film [provides an] opportunity to learn more about Cambodia, a country rarely talked about in history or humanities classes."

While addressing larger issues of race, assimilation, and immigration, the film also touches on ubiquitous life issues, such as the sometimes tumultuous relationship between parent and child. In an observation that rings true to many, regardless of generation and culture, Poeuv said, "Young people are so busy all the time, they hardly sit down and ask their parents about family history. I'm really interested in promoting the idea of putting forth the patience and compassion in these relationships."

Originally opposed to the film, her parents are now supportive. Poeuv said, "They travel with me now to present the film!"

When asked if it was unnerving to constantly see herself on the big screen, Poeuv said, "In the beginning, I didn't want myself to be in the film. Eventually I realized that the American audience would really need a conduit. So I just filled that roll. I've been editing the film for so long that I've distanced myself. I talk about myself in third person after a while!"

Having transferred to Smith, (she also spent a year abroad at Oxford), Poeuv notes the uniqueness of her Smith experience. "Smith has a very supportive community-from my professors and friends-there were just expectations that you would go on to go great things," said Poeuv.

Asked about coming back to Smith for the first time since graduation, Poeuv said, "I'm excited! When they told me they were screening [the movie] at Seelye, I thought it was appropriate-I spent so much time there as an undergrad!"