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>> Director Anne Henderson explores the human effects of landmines "It was initially quite scary," says filmmaker Anne Henderson, about the prospect of directing a film about the hefty subject of landmines in Cambodia. The project was especially daunting in light of Henderson's preparation time; she was asked to take over the hour-long documentary at the last minute, after another filmmaker had dropped the task. "I had a couple of weeks to prepare, whereas usually I'd have months. Before I knew it I was on a plane for Cambodia." Henderson, a 20-year veteran of documentary filmmaking perhaps best known for the NFB film A Song for Tibet, says the challenge has been well worth it. "The minefields there are among the worst in the world, and the country just had a coup in July. The Canadian government still cites it as a place not recommended for a visit." But Henderson says the people were incredibly warm and the nation is strikingly beautiful. "The Cambodians are underexposed to western culture in a very positive way. They are out of the loop and are much more welcoming because of that. Particularly to Canadians, because the Canadian military laid down the groundwork for the demining of Cambodia."
"I'll not forget the people I met during the month I spent in Cambodia," says Henderson, who's now pouring over the 20-odd hours of footage she has in order to figure out what will make it to the final cut. "I feel that much more motivated because I really feel something for the people and the land of Cambodia. You hope you can help in some tiny way." --Matthew Hays
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The killing fields
The hour-long doc, scheduled for broadcast on the CBC sometime this spring, grew out of D-Net--the Disability Network--which works to show disabled people leading productive lives. The show was initiated prior to the awarding of last year's Nobel Peace Prize to anti-landmine activists. Henderson says the backbone of her narrative comes in the story of Tun Channareth, a double amputee and co-winner of the Nobel Prize. Channareth was a Cambodian soldier who made and planted landmines until losing his own legs to one. Since then he has become active in the struggle to ban them entirely.