Survivor Testimony
Nihal Tha
“I ran from the other side. We were all praying.”
A deminer pauses on the edge of a cleared field — her work, slow and exact, returns the land to those who lost it.
A Documentary Film
Documentary Film
Shattered Peace. Silent Fields.
A documentary exploring the human reality behind the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict.
Listening — A Schoolyard in Rural Cambodia
II. About the Film
About the Film.
Shattered Peace. Silent Fields. is a short documentary by Emmy Award-winning journalist Arwa Damon.
Filmed in Cambodia, it offers a first-hand account of the human impact of the Cambodia–Thailand border conflict. Through intimate testimony and on-the-ground reporting, the film follows displaced families, damaged communities, and threatened cultural heritage, while showing how the conflict continues to keep tens of thousands of Cambodians from returning home.
The documentary was filmed in refugee camps, schools, border communities, and at Preah Vihear Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
It reveals a conflict the world has too often overlooked.
III. Stories
Impressions from the field
Field Notes
Phann Sokhourn
“Huge pieces of this temple have been brought to the ground.”
A caretaker at Preah Vihear surveys the damage left behind by shelling near the ancient temple.
Correspondent's Notebook
Arwa Damon
“When I told people I was going to Cambodia they said why…”
A note from Arwa, written between days in the field.
IV. Official Trailer
00:34Field footage · Cambodia
V. Photo Gallery
Moments preserved
from the human cost of war.
A quiet archive of frames — civilians, aftermath, the small rooms where survival happens.
VI. About Arwa Damon
About Arwa Damon
Arwa Damon is a five-time Emmy Award-winning former CNN Senior International Correspondent. Throughout her career, she reported from some of the world's most dangerous conflict zones, becoming widely recognized for her deeply human storytelling and frontline coverage of Iraq, Syria, and the Middle East.
Her reporting earned numerous honors including Peabody Awards, the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award, and the Courage in Journalism Award from the International Women's Media Foundation.
In 2015, Arwa founded INARA — the International Network for Aid, Relief and Assistance — providing medical and mental healthcare to children impacted by war and disaster.
Following her departure from CNN in 2022, she shifted focus toward independent documentary filmmaking and humanitarian work, continuing to spotlight untold human stories from regions affected by conflict.
5×
Emmy Awards
2015
Founded INARA
20+
Years on the frontline
VII. The Team
The people behind
the lens.
A Cambodian crew navigating their country’s frontlines and quiet villages, documenting untold stories with patience, trust, and care.
01
Len Leng
Producer
Len started freelancing as a journalist in 2012 while still a sophomore in university. Since then, she has worked with numerous local and international news organizations covering breaking news, human rights, labor migration, and humanitarian stories across Cambodia. Her work includes field producing in Cambodia for the PBS documentary “Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science,” serving as an extra casting assistant on Angelina Jolie’s “First They Killed My Father,” and production managing for the Hollywood film “Hex.”
02
Panha Sith
Director of Photography & Editor
Sith is a visual storyteller whose work spans documentaries and short films. He first picked up a camera in 2017 and quickly developed a passion for filmmaking and editing. Between 2019 and 2021, he worked as production manager and head of editing for Young Eco-Ambassador, a youth-led environmental initiative focused on awareness across the Mekong and Tonle Sap regions in collaboration with Fishbio and Cambodia’s Fishery Administration.
03
Raksa Ratha
Camerawoman
Raksa is a documentary camerawoman, professional photographer, storyboard artist, set designer, and prop master. Her experience includes music videos, commercials, and short films with leading Cambodian directors. Within the humanitarian sector, she contributed to campaigns focused on child drowning prevention and created social media content for UNICEF.
04
Sokkhouch Kheav
Drone Operator & Sound Operator
Sokkhouch is widely recognized for his travel and adventure storytelling, building a strong social media following through cinematic drone and documentary content. A self-taught drone operator, he has documented charity events, displaced communities, music videos, and short films throughout Cambodia. Since 2019, he has also worked as a tour leader organizing expeditions across Cambodia’s mountains and coastal regions.
05
Sovorng Mear
Driver
Sovorng has guided research and film crews through some of Cambodia’s most remote and difficult terrain. He is respected for his professionalism, reliability, kindness, and calm presence throughout demanding field journeys.