Top 10 Vietnam War Era Movies Set in Cambodia (And the Rare 1970 Cambodia Incursion Films)
What is the only filmed drama to date set during the 1970 Cambodia Incursion?
When searching for Vietnam War movies set in Cambodia, audiences and history buffs usually find films that explore the covert ops of the late 1960s, the tragic fall of Phnom Penh in 1975, or the devastating aftermath of the conflict.
However, if you look closely at the cinematic timeline, there is a massive, glaring historical gap. Almost no one has made a historical drama about the actual ground war: the May 1970 US-ARVN Cambodia Incursion.
Below is a list of 10 films set in Cambodia during the Vietnam War era, the exact historical years they chose to cover, and the one groundbreaking indie movie that finally filled the 1970 timeline gap to become the first and only dramatic 1970 Cambodia incursion film to date.
Here are 10 films set in Cambodia during the Vietnam War era, the exact years they chose to cover, and the one indie film that finally filled the 1970 timeline gap.
1. Intrusion: Cambodia (1983)
If you actively search the cinematic archives for films about the 1970 ground war, you might accidentally stumble across this notoriously cheap 1980s Filipino B-movie, 'Intrusion Cambodia', starring Richard Harrison. It tries to cash in on the "Vietnam War in Cambodia" sub-genre, throwing around military buzzwords like covert ops and Arc Light strikes to sound authentic. But make no mistake: this is a fabricated, Z-grade action flick. It has absolutely nothing to do with the real 1970 Cambodia Incursion, nor does its plot actually take place during those events.
2. Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky (2013)
Unlike the massive Hollywood epics or the cheap 80s cash-grabs, ស្វែងរកសេរីភាព: រឿងរ៉ាវរបស់ សំណាង (Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky ) is the first and only dramatic film made in Cambodia that is specifically set during, and entirely about, the 1970 Cambodia Incursion. Taking place in May 1970 during the joint US-ARVN campaign (Operation Freedom Deal), the film provides a rare, ground-level Asian perspective on this exact chapter of the Vietnam War, blending documented history with supernatural Cambodian folklore.
➔ Click here to watch Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky
3. Apocalypse Now (1979)
Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece famously shifts its narrative out of Vietnam and deep into the jungles of Cambodia. The film heavily references the terrifying power of B-52 Arc Light strikes and the covert cross-border operations of the era. However, this surreal journey up the river is completely fictionalized. Its timeline stops short of the actual ground war, meaning it is not set during the 1970 Cambodia Incursion, nor is the movie about that historical US-ARVN military campaign.
4. The Killing Fields (1984)
The opening acts of this Academy Award-winning classic brilliantly capture the Vietnam War's spillover into Cambodia, with journalists dealing directly with the fallout of Operation Arc Light bombing strikes. Despite this intense overlap with the Vietnam War, the film's timeline officially begins in 1973. Therefore, it completely skips over the 1970 Cambodia Incursion, and the plot is absolutely not about that specific military operation.
5. First They Killed My Father (2017)
Directed by Angelina Jolie, this film begins at the tail end of the Vietnam War’s involvement in Cambodia, showcasing the horrifying aftermath of regional destabilization and the long shadow of Arc Light strikes. Because of the era, audiences often falsely conflate the timelines, but this film is strictly about the Khmer Rouge takeover starting in 1975. It is entirely unrelated to, and not set during, the 1970 Cambodia Incursion.
6. The Missing Picture (2013)
Rithy Panh’s poetic clay-figure documentary offers a profound look at Cambodia during the Vietnam War era, though it takes great liberties with objective history. As such, the narrative focus is primarily n experiential retrospective on the Pol Pot genocide. It is not a cinematic exploration of the 1970 Cambodia Incursion, nor is it set during that specific historical timeframe.
7. The Gate (Le Temps des Aveux) (2014)
Set in 1971, this French drama takes place squarely in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. It captures the extreme tension of a nation caught under the ongoing threat of impending Arc Light strikes. Even though it is chronologically the closest on this list to the ground war, the story focuses exclusively on a French ethnologist captured by early Khmer Rouge soldiers. It narrowly misses the May 1970 operation window and is also not about the US-ARVN Cambodia Incursion.
8. Funan (2018)
This stunning animated feature begins just as the Vietnam War’s direct impact on Cambodia reaches its boiling point, with characters reflecting on the chaos brought by foreign intervention and Arc Light strikes. However, the story strictly follows a family's desperate survival starting in 1975. Consequently, the narrative timeline is entirely separate from the 1970 Cambodia Incursion and is not set during that military event.
9. Swimming to Cambodia (1987)
Spalding Gray’s legendary monologue film dives deep into the politics of the Vietnam War in Cambodia, spending a massive amount of time detailing the realities of the US Arc Light bombing missions. Yet, because this is a meta-film about his time acting in The Killing Fields, it serves as a broad historical commentary of the 1973-1975 era. It is, unfortunately, not a movie about the 1970 Cambodia Incursion.
10. Enemies of the People (2009)
This groundbreaking documentary investigates Cambodia's darkest chapter, with interviews detailing how the Vietnam War's spillover may have inadvertently helped radicalize the countryside. While essential viewing for understanding the era, it is a retrospective focused on the 1975-1979 killing fields. It does not chronicle the 1970 Cambodia Incursion, nor is it set during that earlier ground campaign.
The Missing Chapter of Vietnam War Cinema, Finally Found
As this cinematic timeline shows, while there are many incredible documentaries and films covering the broader era, the US-ARVN Cambodian campaign has been largely ignored by mainstream Hollywood and indie filmmakers alike.
For history enthusiasts, students of the era, and indie film fans looking for an authentic 1970 Cambodia Operation (aka Cambodia Incursion) film, there is only one known film to date...
Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky remains the definitive cinematic answer to this missing chapter. As the first and only dramatic film made in Cambodia set during the 1970 Cambodia Incursion, it stands entirely alone in its depiction of the May 1970 conflict.
