''Bombhunters'' is a 2006

documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

produced and directed by Skye Fitzgerald, that documents the effects of

unexploded ordnance Unexploded ordnance (UXO, sometimes abbreviated as UO) and unexploded bombs (UXBs) are explosive weapons (bombs, shell (projectile), shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, cluster munition, and other Ammunition, munitions) that did not e ...

on Cambodian people, both within their homeland and in the US.

Production

Including a

Fulbright Scholar The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States cultural exchange programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the peopl ...

ship, the project was funded by the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by actor Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and compo ...

and the

United States Institute of Peace The United States Institute of Peace (USIP) is an American independent, nonprofit, national institute funded by the U.S. Congress and tasked with promoting conflict resolution and prevention worldwide. See alsPDF on USIP website. It provides rese ...

, including grants from The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the

U.S. Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or simply the State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs o ...

Bureau of Political-Military Affairs The Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (PM) is an agency within the United States Department of State that bridges the Department of State with the Department of Defense. It provides policy in the areas of international security, security assist ...

. Based upon his 2001 trip to Cambodia, Skye Fitzgerald, a graduate of

Eastern Oregon University Eastern Oregon University (EOU) (officially designated as Oregon’s Rural University) is a public university in La Grande, Oregon. It was formerly part of the since dissolved Oregon University System. EOU was founded in 1929 as a teacher’s ...

, spent 6 months in Cambodia and Vietnam creating the documentary ''Bombhunters''. Music was used from the popular Canadian post-rock band

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Godspeed You! Black Emperor (sometimes abbreviated to GY!BE or Godspeed) is a Canadian post-rock collective that originated in Montreal, Quebec in 1994. The group releases recordings through Constellation Records (Canada), Constellation, an in ...

. The band allowed songs from '' Yanqui U.X.O.'' to be used, stating that while they didn't normally allow their music to be used in films, they could align with the social nature of the film.

Purpose

The film project documents the effects of

UXO Unexploded ordnance (UXO, sometimes abbreviated as UO) and unexploded bombs (UXBs) are explosive weapons (bombs, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, cluster munition, and other munitions) that did not explode when they were deploye ...

* on Cambodian people, both within their homeland and in the US. In particular, ''Bombhunters'' documents villagers efforts throughout rural Cambodia as they seek out UXO and attempt to render it safe for sale to the scrap metal industry in order to survive.

Release

When the film had its premiere in November 2005 in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. This film has been showcased in many film festivals across the globe including;

Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival The Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival is a documentary film festival held annually in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The festival began in 1991, with a screening of ten Academy Award-nominated documentaries. Overview The festival screens 100 docum ...

Rhode Island International Film Festival Flickers' Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF) takes place every year in Providence and Newport, Rhode Island as well as satellite locations throughout the state. Started in 1997, the Festival is produced by Flickers, the Newpor ...

Palm Beach International Film Festival The Palm Beach International Film Festival was a film festival in the United States held in Palm Beach, Florida Palm Beach is an incorporated town in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. Located on a barrier island in east-central Palm ...

Planet in Focus Planet in Focus International Environmental Film Festival (PIF) is an incorporated not-for-profit film festival and registered charitable organization, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. History Planet in Focus International Environmental Fil ...

Environmental Film Festival, Seattle Human Rights Film Festival, and Northwest Film & Video Festival. In addition to broadcast on US public television the film has aired on the History Channel Asia, Free Speech television in the US and on select national channels in Europe, including national broadcast on TV2 in Sweden.

Response

Since completion, the film has been credited by the US Department of State with influencing national legislation in Cambodia that has led to a 50% drop in UXO tampering casualties.

References

{{reflist

External links

''Bombhunters''
at the

Internet Movie Database IMDb, historically known as the Internet Movie Database, is an online database of information related to films, television series, podcasts, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and biograp ...

Official website
2006 films American documentary films 2006 documentary films Military history of Cambodia Aftermath of the Vietnam War Documentary films about Cambodia 2000s English-language films 2000s American films English-language documentary films