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Pol Pot's Birthday
11 minutes | 17 or older | 2004 | 
United States of America
The office staff of the most brutal dictator on earth attempts to throw a surprise birthday party for their boss.
Synopsis"Pol Pot's Birthday" follows the hapless office staff of the most brutal dictator on earth as they attempt to throw a surprise birthday party for their boss. A darkly satirical comedy that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and won numerous Best Film awards at festivals worldwide, "Pol Pot's Birthday" is a short film classic whose hilarious use of awkward comedy has been compared to the hit British TV show "The Office”.
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Directed by
Talmage Cooley -
Written by
Anthony Sperduti
Talmage Cooley -
Produced by
Talmage Cooley
Justin Pollock - Pol Pot's Birthday Website
Written by: Anthony Sperduti
Talmage Cooley
Produced by: Talmage Cooley
Justin Pollock
Cast
Right Hand Man: Murphy TanThe Security Chief: Takeo Wong
The Cook: Domnang Pin
Pol Pot: Keone Young
The Translator: Luoc Lee
The General: Peter Leung
Crew
Editor: Akiko Iwakawa GreiveCinematographer: Todd Somodevilla
Costume Designer: Casey Storm
Production Designer: Shane Valentino
A terrifically subversive account of a day in the life of a dictator. There are undercurrents of menace but what presides is a comic awkwardness to rival the best bits of The Office - BBC
As bizarre a film as you're likely to see, Pol Pot's Birthday comes across like The Killing Fields directed by Christopner Guest. It's a brilliant satire that sees the genocidal dictator, now ousted from power and hiding out in the sweaty Cambodian jungles, being thrown a surprise birthday party. Every subtitled line is a mundane delight, loaded with irony and pathos: "The cake was biggtr last year", muses the tubby maniac, while his terrified followers nervously make small talk. "So what are you, sir? A Virgo?" Hilariously downbeat and, if anybody deserves to be pissed on by a puppy, it's Pol Pot. Rating 4 stars. - HOTDOG FILM MAGAZINE
St. Louis International Film Festival -- Best Short (Won)
Dubrovnik International Film Festival -- Best Short (Won)
Filmstock International Film Festival (UK) -- Best Film (Won)
Filmstock International Film Festival (UK) -- Audience Award Best Short (Won)
Silver Lake Film Festival -- Special Exhibition Selection (Won)
Grenada Film Festival (Spain) -- Best Cinematography (Won)
Newport Beach Film Festival -- Best Screenplay (Won)
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Director
Talmage Cooley
