Mommy’s Land

NEW DOCS

Cambodia’s government routinely evicts landowners, profiting from lucrative international real estate deals brokered at the expense of the country’s most vulnerable citizens—that is, until the corrupt politicians meet their match in “Mommy.” Refusing to abandon what’s rightfully hers, this elderly grandmother holds her ground in the face of escalating physical and legal threats. Her stalwart courage inspires the neighborhood’s younger women to mount a more organized resistance. As law enforcement officers resort to increasingly violent tactics for disrupting the protests, the movement garners political momentum and a groundswell of local and international support. Although it unfolds in Phnom Penh’s poorest district, Mommy’s Land hits close to home. The exploitation of the poor is the direct result of a global economy in which U.S. real estate developers and the World Bank are the ultimate beneficiaries of Cambodia’s land grabs. Mommy’s struggle against this political profiteering presages this year’s global women’s response to our own real estate mogul–cum–president.  TAW

Filmmaker Q&A following screening

Director

Garret Atlakson

Producer

Philip Atlakson

Editor

Garret Atlakson

Cinematographer

Garret Atlakson

Release Year

2017

Festival Year

2017

Country

Cambodia, United States

Run Time

68 minutes

Subtitled

Yes

Premiere

World Premiere