Swept Under follows Ricky, a Cambodian American man, moving into a new house as he discovers that a rug may hide sinister forces that lie beneath its surface.

Born in Cambodia, Ricky was adopted into a white family at a young age. When his older sister, Beth, gives him a rug as a housewarming gift, she explains it was made by one of the survivors of the Cambodian genocide. He’s hesitant to accept the rug at first because of its gruesome history, but sets it aside amidst the hectic move-in. That evening, when he pulls out a clump of dead hair, he begins to notice that something is off about the rug.

What, or who, is under the rug? 

If you like movies like Get Out, It Follows, or Rosemary’s Baby, then this is for you.

Why Now?

As we ease out of the pandemic, I’ve noticed we’re all so eager to move on from these past several months. And I get it, it’s comforting to be excited about the future. But before we move forward, I believe it’s just as important to have a look back to the history of the country we live in or come from. 

The fallout from the war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia still affects millions of Americans today, from the veterans who suffer from PTSD to the Southeast Asian refugees who lack equal opportunity for education, employment, and resources. Their stories have been swept under the rug for too long.

Swept Under is not just an Asian American film. It’s for anyone who appreciates history, social justice, or even a bone-chilling horror experience.

Outside the house, high contrast cool tones will convey a sense of isolation for Ricky.

Inside, warm tones will provide a false sense of comfort as he puts the pieces together. 

The rug will always be in the frame, watching Ricky from afar. 

Swept Under transposes the history of the Vietnam War into a modern context. 

It investigates the difficulties of assimilation and being the “perpetual foreigner''. As immigrants or childrens of one, how can we reconcile trying to adopt a culture that has destabilized and, in many cases, destroyed the countries our families come from? 

This film also asks, what is the real horror? The rug that haunts Ricky? Or the performative allyship and American involvement in countries that we’ve seen in countries like Nicaragua, Afghanistan, and Iraq?

U.S. military topples the statue of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, 2003

A Short History Lesson

During the height of the war, President Nixon and his Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger, decided to invade neutral Cambodia to prevent the movement of enemy troops through the country. This effort ultimately failed but not before over 2.7 million tons of bombs were dropped on Cambodian soil. 

To put that in perspective, this exceeded the bombing of Japan in WWII by 1 million tons. 

The bombing displaced millions and created economic instability that allowed the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge regime to take power. Between 1975-1979, the regime systematically killed 2 million Cambodians in one of the worst genocides ever documented. 

The Khmer Rouge carried out the genocide in labor fields and torture prisons, such as the notorious S-21 prison. In the high school turned torture center, an estimated 20,000 people were meticulously documented and photographed before they were tortured and executed.

Only 12 people survived.

Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum at S21 Prison

Growing up, I was always aware of the Cambodian genocide and my mother’s immigration story. I was stunned the first time I learned about the American bombing of Cambodia was in a university class. How had I never even heard about this? 

From the time I started writing Swept Under to today, my goal is to approach this history—of betrayal, tragedy, and perseverance— with immense sensitivity for our community while also acknowledging the reality of what happened in Cambodia. 

There’s a scene in the film where the characters look at photos from the Cambodian genocide, spefically at the S-21 prison. Out of respect for them and their families, the faces of the victims will be censored and blurred. 

The inclusion of these photos from our history is going to bring back a darker side of both American and Cambodian history, but it's also going to bring back a narrative that needs to be shared, that some people know, and others will learn.

We are in the middle stages of pre-production! Research and planning is under way, locations have been secured, and we will be ready to move into production once we secure the necessary funding — and you can join along in the process!

$6,000 is the bare minimum we need in order to make this film. Every last dollar has been accounted for and will go toward production costs only including things like equipment (lighting, sound, and lenses), props and wardrobe, meals for filming, insurance, and hiring a professional VFX artist to bring this story to life! 

Stretch Goals:

$6,500 - Seed&Spark 5% fee coverage - So we can maintain our film’s budget and send out all of the thank you gifts to our wonderful donors!

$7,500 - Premium Post-Production - We’d love to hire a composer, colorist, and sound mixer to help amplify this story before it hits the big screen (and your inboxes - if that’s an incentive you chose!). 

$8,000 - Contingency - We’re grateful to all our donors and a small portion of our budget will be dedicated to all the uncertainties that may come up along the process of making this film, so that we can focus on the art!

Ethan is a Cambodian American director studying Film & Television Production at the University of Southern California. With a strong devotion for sharing underrepresented stories, he’s worked with LA’s Chinatown community, military veterans, and grassroot politicians. Most recently, he directed the genre bending, digital western, Cowboy Companion, which has screened in festivals across the country such as the Los Angeles and Austin Film Comedy Film Festival.

At USC, Ethan is the recipient of the Jon M. Chu Cinematic Arts and Jack Oakie Victoria Horne Scholarship. He has worked under acclaimed filmmakers such as Janet Yang and now works at Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw Productions, where he is excited to learn more about storytelling in the genre space. 

Favorite Horror Movie: Dark Waters (the Japanese version!)

Ruhi is an independent producer and senior at the University of Southern California studying Film & Television Production and Marketing. She is a versatile creator, having done work ranging from commercials for the U.S. Army, non-profit broadcast journalism in Miami, and a feature documentary. In 2017, she was named a National YoungArts Foundation Winner in Cinematic Arts and was awarded three crystal pillars from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Suncoast Chapter for her short films.

She is currently working on the Genre Series Physical Production team at Amazon Studios and is excited for the forgotten history that Swept Under will bring to light.

Favorite Horror Movie: Get Out

Graham is studying Film & Television Production at USC with a minor in Entrepreneurship. He is a cinematographer who strives to tell stories that ignite social change. Graham often relies on natural light and encourages directors to consider using natural settings when appropriate. Alongside these tendencies toward nature, Graham describes his approach to cinematography as character-driven. He loves to use cinematography as a tool to immerse the audience in the world of a character and the journey that they go on. 

He has been a content creator at Universal Music Group, where he has worked on projects that have garnered hundreds of millions of views. 

Favorite Horror Movie: Hereditary

Jack is a visual effects artist and supervisor based in Los Angeles, CA. Originally from Chicago, IL, Jack has had a strong passion for effects work and visual storytelling since a young age. In 2021, Jack graduated from the University of Southern California with a BFA in Film and Television Production. While there, Jack worked as a VFX supervisor on many student films, including The Sunshine Room, which was a finalist for a student Academy Award.

Since graduating Jack has worked on numerous commercials, music videos, shorts, and features as a freelance artist. Jack has also worked part time at the post-production house, Scissor Films. While there, Jack worked with clients such as Travis Scott, Skyy Vodka, Busta Rhymes and Megan Thee Stallion. Jack is passionate about using his skills to produce creative content that inspires.

Favorite Horror Movie: Jaws