- Directed by: Skye Fitzgerald
- Produced by: Skye Fitzgerald
Released: 2006
Running Time: 78 min
Subjects: Anthropology, Southeast Asian Studies
BOMB HUNTERS is an engrossing examination of the micro-economy that has emerged in Cambodia from untrained civilians harvesting unexploded bombs as scrap metal. The film explores the long-term consequences of war and genocide in an attempt to understand the social, cultural, and historical context and experiences of rural villagers who seek out and dismantle UXO (unexploded ordnance) for profit. Part of a global economy, these individuals clear UXO from their land in order to protect their families from harm and to earn enough money to survive. BOMB HUNTERS is an eye-opening account investigating the on-going residual, persistent effects of war experienced by post-conflict nations around the globe, and the complex realities of achieving "peace".
Awards
- Official Film Festival Selections
- Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival
- Big Sky Documentary Film Festival
- Jackson Hole Film Festival
- Rhode Island International Film Festival
- Tahoe/Reno International Film Festival
- Palm Beach International Film Festival
- Planet in Focus Environmental Film Festival
- Mountain Film in Telluride
- Roving Eye Documentary Film Festival
- NW Film & Video Festival
- CamboFest – Siem Riep, Cambodia
- International Human Rights Film Festival - Seattle
Quotes/ Reviews
"Northwest filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald's documentary profiles several Cambodian bombhunters, while at the same time exploring the country's history and examining the history of bombing within armed conflict. The result is a powerful documentary that offers, among other things, a chilling look at what happens in the wake of America fighting for freedom."
– David Walker, Willamette Week
"Producer/director Skye Fitzgerald balances the past and present components of this story masterfully, creating a film far removed from the anti-U.S. sentiments of documentaries like Michael Moore's "Fahrenheit 9/11." "Bombhunters" is a must see lesson in history and third world turmoil."
– Alex Sakariassen
"The Cambodian Community of Oregon (CACO) wants its past, both good and bad, told. As a community that empowers the present and the future, we believe this film will inspire our children and our future generations to be compassionate, productive, and responsible. The success of this film will help us heal the emotional wounds inflicted by years of wars and the Khmer Rouge."
– Kilong Ung, CACO President, Asian reporter
"These honest and awful shots of simple folk doing their practical best for their poor families are Mr. Fitzgerald's best work. His extraordinary compassion plus his blue-collar sensibilities make a compelling cinematic and moral statement. This film needs to be seen. For speaking up for Cambodia's rural poor, for not remaining silent about America's past cruelty and current carelessness."
– Polo
"Those costs are even more plainly stated in Bombhunters, a documentary by Portland filmmaker Skye Fitzgerald, which is having its world premiere on International Human Rights Day. This devastating film exposes the dangers faced by impoverished Cambodians who dig up unexploded bombs to sell for scrap. The way the destruction wrought by the bombs that did explode has forced these desperate people to further endanger themselves with the duds is a tragic irony, and the numerous interviews are incredibly sad."
– Mark Mohan, The Oregonian
