Dith Pran was a Cambodian photojournalist best known as a refugee and survivor of the Cambodian genocide. He was the subject of the Academy Awardwinning film The Killing Fields . He was portrayed in the film by firsttime actor Haing S. Ngor , who won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.
Pran was born in Siem Reap, Cambodia near Angkor Wat. His father worked as a public works official. He learned French at school and taught himself English.
Source: Wikipedia