'FREEDOM DEAL: The Story of Lucky'
RT 24:58 GENRE: Historical Fiction, Drama, War (Supernatural Historical Drama)
NICHES: Asian; Youth; War; Refugees; Supernatural
SYNOPSIS: May 4, 1970 - Cambodia. During the 1970 US-Vietnam conflict, a combined US & Army of South Vietnam military operation enters Cambodia to locate and destroy North Vietnamese and Viet Cong sanctuaries. A Cambodian youth named Samnang (‘Lucky’) and an ornery but likable wedding musician make their way through the conflict - encountering landmines, surreal Cambodian ghosts known as 'Arbs', and marauding helicopters as they go.
Overview
Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky is a powerful and haunting short film that explores the devastating impact of war on ordinary people. Set during the Cambodian campaign of the Vietnam War, the film follows two young men, Lucky (Darith Khoun) and Nuon (Aran Lun), as they make their way through a war-torn landscape, encountering landmines, marauding helicopters, and surreal, bodiless Asian ghosts.
Director Jason Rosette (directing as 'Jack RO') crafts a visually stunning and emotionally resonant film that unflinchingly depicts the horrors of war. The performances from Khoun and Lun are simply outstanding, as they convey the resilience and hope of their characters in the face of unimaginable adversity. 
One of the most striking things about Freedom Deal is its unique blending of genres. The film is at once a war film, a horror film, and a coming-of-age story. This genre-bending approach allows Rosette to explore the complex and often contradictory emotions that people experience during wartime.
The film is also notable for its incorporation of Cambodian folklore. The Arbs, the ghostly beings that Lucky and Nuon encounter, are a real part of Cambodian mythology. Rosette's use of the Arbs is both effective and disturbing, as it serves to highlight the sense of dislocation and trauma that the characters are experiencing.
Overall, 'Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky' is a must-see film for anyone interested in war films, horror films, or Southeast Asian history. It is a powerful and moving film that stays with the viewer long after the credits have rolled.
Additional Notes
- The film is set during a relatively unknown period of history, the Cambodian campaign of the Vietnam War. This gives the film a unique perspective and allows it to shed light on a conflict that is often overlooked.
- The film's two protagonists, Lucky and Nuon, are complex and relatable characters. They are both deeply flawed, but they are also incredibly resilient and resourceful.
- The film's use of Cambodian folklore is both effective and original. The Arbs are truly terrifying creatures, and their presence in the film adds a unique sense of dread and suspense.
- The film is visually stunning. Rosette's cinematography captures the beauty and brutality of Cambodia in equal measure.
- The film's ending is both ambiguous and thought-provoking. It leaves the viewer with a sense of unease and uncertainty, which is perfectly fitting for a film about war and its aftermath.
Many in the US associate the US-ARVN 1970 ‘Cambodia Incursion’ with violent student protests that raged from Berkeley to Kent State University...but what was happening on the ground in Cambodia?
Background
“I lived and researched in Cambodia for more than six years to get this story down,” says writer-director Jason Rosette of production company Camerado Media (SE Asia). “My Khmer colleagues and I travelled to some incredibly remote jungle areas. We even stumbled upon the elusive ‘Pentagon of North Vietnam’– COSVN – on the outskirts of Kratie (Cambodia), while researching the story.”
“The title of the project alludes to an associated air support campaign at the time Operation Freedom Deal. 
The air campaign coincided with the ground-based Incursion, however, there's no examination of the air campaign itself in our movie, since the story is focused on the ground."
‘Freedom Deal: The Story of Lucky’, reveals a supernatural and never-before-seen look at a little known part of the US-Vietnam conflict in Cambodia.
This original military history drama is now available on VOD/Streaming on Amazon Video and other platforms. Public Performance Rights DVD versions with DSL Digital Site License are available from Camerado Media.
The Cambodia Incursion
‘Freedom Deal: Story of Lucky’, was produced in 2013 in Cambodia with the permission of the Cambodian government. The story is set along the border in 1970 as US and Army of South Vietnam troops make their way across in search of NVA and Viet Cong sanctuaries.
The ‘Cambodia Incursion’ as it would be known, sparked waves of controversy and protest worldwide as it was perceived to be an expansion of the conflict.
This military operation in turn ignited protests across the world, including student protests at Kent State and Jackson State Universities, where unarmed students were killed.
In 'Freedom Deal', this chapter of US-Asian history is explored from a dramatized Cambodian perspective onscreen for the first time.
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Supernatural Context
Finally, as the film is a dramatic-fictional portrayal of events, the 'Freedom Deal' introduces to Western viewers an unusual metaphysical horror aspect. A folkloric Asian vampire-ghost known as an 'Arb' in Cambodia is unleashed by the conflict.
This unusual supernatural being - rarely seen in Western films or videos - ultimately confronts the protagonists of 'Freedom Deal'.
'Story of Lucky' is the first standalone episode from the larger 'Freedom Deal' project. Get more info about 'Freedom Deal' at http://www.freedomdealmovie.com
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