‘The Stories We Share’ - they were forced, as strangers, to marry

Documentary film tells the story of survivors as Khmer Rouge Tribunal educators travel across Cambodia.

May 6, 2025 - 16:00
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‘The Stories We Share’ - they were forced, as strangers, to marry

When the Khmer Rouge rose to power 50 years ago, it inflicted myriad abuses on Cambodians. One of the less-known ways the hardline communist group tried to control life was through forced marriage.

The regime forced tens of thousands of men and women, as strangers, to marry as an effort to populate Democratic Kampuchea.

The documentary “The Stories We Share” looks at this untold legacy of Pol Pot’s rule that left many lasting scars. The filmmakers meet survivors Oung Phhun and Soeng Chantorn and travel with Khmer Rouge Tribunal educators as they help the younger generation understand their country’s past.

While forced marriage was intended to boost the population, during less than four years under the Khmer Rouge, the population shriveled. An estimated two million people died from starvation, disease and execution.

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