The bloody civil war in Cambodia created a vacuum that, for years, enabled the looting of hundreds of statues of deities and ancient artifacts from thousand-year-old temples. Douglas Latchford, a charismatic and manipulative British art dealer, exploited impoverished residents, including teenagers and children, to guide him to temples deep in the jungle and plunder them on his behalf. The treasures were smuggled and sold for millions of dollars to private collectors and to museums in the West, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the British Museum.

The story of the pursuit of Latchford unfolds here like a thriller, offering a glimpse into the hidden world of an art trade world not deterred by war and genocide, certainly not by cynical exploitation of children. (This world is also exposed in the film “Plunderer – The Life and Times of a Nazi Art Thief”, which is also screened at the festival). Yet the film also offers a measure of hope: some of the looted treasures have been returned to Cambodia, including Latchford’s private collection.