In 1972, after the U.S. troops were defeated and evacuated Cambodia in Vietnam, the New York Times war correspondent in Cambodia, Sinny (Sam Waterston), remained in the area to continue interviewing. Cambodian Pandi (Haing S. Ngor) is Sinny's local translator and assistant. With the help of Pandi, Sinny escaped from the gates of hell many times. The two forged a deep friendship in the flames of war. In 1975, the Khmer Rouge occupied Phnom Penh. Sinny was able to retreat, but Pandi was arrested for not having a passport and began a hellish life worse than death. In the labor reform of the Cambodian Communist Party, Pandi witnessed the brutality and bloodiness of the Khmer Rouge regime and was treated inhumanely. In 1978, the Viet Cong invaded Cambodia, and Pandi took the opportunity to flee to the Thai border and reunited with his old friend Sinny who had been looking for him. The film won the 57th Academy Awards in 1985 for Best Supporting Actor, Best Photography and Best Film Editing.