Photo exhibition: Through the Eye of the Storm
Commemorating a Tragic History
On April 17, 1975, Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh, fell under the final assault of the Khmer Rouge, leading to a tragic genocide that targeted educated individuals and dismantled the country's educational infrastructure.
While millions of inhabitants were forced onto the roads of slavery, hunger, and, for so many, death, hundreds of foreign nationals sought refuge within the walls of the French Embassy. Not knowing what fate awaited them, they sought to ward off fear by organizing, as best they could, their lives as castaways. Beyond the walls of the Embassy, they became powerless witnesses to a tragedy unfolding before their eyes.
This exhibition, curated by Iv Charbonneau-Ching, retraces the fall of Phnom Penh through the photographs of Roland Neveu and presents the stories of four witnesses to these events, drawn from exclusive interviews conducted in 2025.
Through these images and voices, the exhibition not only documents the fall of Phnom Penh, but also opens a window onto the intimate experience of those who lived through it. The photographer’s eye and the survivors’ words resonate with one another, reviving the fear, uncertainty, and resilience that marked those days. By making these rare memories visible and audible, the exhibition invites visitors to reflect on the fragility of human lives in the face of violence, and on the vital need to transmit these experiences so they are not forgotten. More than a return to the past, it is a human encounter that still speaks to us today.
Organised by Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE) /For a child’s smile, this event aims to raise awareness and funds to improve educational opportunities for children in Cambodia.
