Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Wrenching anime depicts little-told war story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Funan
What's the Story?
Set during the Cambodian civil war of the 1970s, FUNAN zeroes in on one family that's forced from their home and into collective agriculture by the communist Khmer Rouge. On the march to the farming camp, Chou (voiced by Bérénice Bejo) and Khuon (Louis Garrel) lose track of their 3-year-old son in the crowds, and he's sent to a different camp. Can Chou and Khuon survive long enough to find him?
Is It Any Good?
Heart-wrenching yet absolutely beautiful, this anime film movingly illustrates a tumultuous period of Cambodian history that's relatively unknown to Western viewers. Funan isn't easy to watch: Viewers get just a couple of moments of peace in the movie's beginning, when Khuon zips through a lazy midday market on a scooter to get home to his wife and son, fresh from a wooden tub bath. As Khuon carefully removes his shoes before stepping over the threshold and gives his wife a tender hug, we can imagine their lives playing out in many such calm, easygoing afternoons. But the urgent announcements start just moments later, and things quickly go from bad to worse to unbearable for the family.
Chou and Khuon are designated as "new people": urban types to be reeducated by "old people" -- aka peasants who traditionally worked the land. It doesn't go well. Within a few years, Chou and Khuon's cheeks are hollow, and the sky seems always to be gray as they squat in the dirt, carefully dividing their rice rations between family members. The land around them is still beautiful: Visuals as stunning as an Impressionist painting show the green forest, landscape littered with palm trees, and purple sunsets over the rice paddies. But with their country occupied and their son somewhere else, all Chou and Khuon can see is their own misery. War is hell, but this sad, singular movie at least makes it lovely to look at.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Funan's violence. Is it necessary to the story? Does it make more of an impact because of its relative infrequence? Why or why not? Do different types of violence affect kids differently?
Which scene did you find the most upsetting? Why?
How do the characters demonstrate courage, compassion, and perseverance? Why are those important character strengths?
Did you learn anything new about this historical period and how it affected those who lived through it? Had you heard of the Cambodian civil war before? Do you know more about it after watching Funan?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 6, 2019
- On DVD or streaming : December 3, 2019
- Cast : Bérénice Bejo , Louis Garrel , Colette Kieffer
- Director : Denis Do
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : GKIDS
- Genre : Anime
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Compassion , Courage , Perseverance
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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