It is the story of Vong Poeuv, his wife Yim Om and their seven daughters. Their lives, their joys, thier beliefs and their survival are dictated by rice growing. The plot of land is small, the family numerous, the children are growing up. The harmony is fragile. Abanal incident occurs, transforming the cycle of life into a cycle of death. In Cambodian refugee camps, when children are

asked where rice comes from, they answer: "from U.N lorries". They have never seen a ri cefield. One day, these children will have to learn to live in Cambodia, in other words, they will have to learn to cultivate, to plough, to work the land. "Rice people" tries to share this way of life, to demonstate the fra gile equilibrium on which it lies and the freedom it represents.