Loung Ung - Author of “First They Killed My Father”
With the 50th anniversary of the Khmer Rouge upon us, I’m honored to share a conversation that holds so much weight, truth, and heart. In this episode of Death in Cambodia, Life in America, I sit down with Loung Ung, Cambodian-American author, activist, and survivor.
You probably know Loung from her memoir First They Killed My Father, which tells the story of her survival during the Khmer Rouge regime. It was later adapted into a Netflix film, co-written with and directed by Angelina Jolie. But in this conversation, Loung goes even deeper—sharing the emotional toll of writing her story, the healing that came through Buddhism, and the journey of reconnecting with her sister and her homeland.
We talk about the complexities of privilege, family, and cultural identity—and what it means to live a purposeful life after trauma. Loung's honesty, strength, and compassion left a lasting impression on me, and I think it will for you, too.
This episode is for anyone who believes in the power of storytelling, the resilience of the human heart, and the importance of remembering where we come from.
