The Trenton Film Society will present the world premiere of Once a Child Soldier on Saturday, May 18 at 1 p.m. as part of its celebration of documentaries produced by regional filmmakers, at Mill Hill Playhouse in Trenton.

The 31-minute film was co-produced by Sopheap Theam and Princeton-based filmmaker Janet Gardner, who also directed. It is the latest documentary from The Gardner Documentary Group. The film explores the Cambodian genocide through the eyes of a former Khmer Rouge child soldier. In his own words, Sayon Soeun confronts his childhood experiences during Cambodia’s darkest hour, revealing what he witnessed and struggled with as he came of age.

“Soeun was abducted at the age of 6 and exploited by the Khmer Rouge, his family life and education stolen,” reads a press release from the Gardner group. “His recovery and redemption from unimaginable evil entails his transition from an orphanage in a refugee camp to his adoption by a loving Connecticut family.”

The film follows Soeun on a healing journey to Cambodia. He meets people who insist they are the family he thought was lost, and forgives himself for his complicity as a Khmer Rouge child soldier. The film builds to a conclusion as he receives the test results that will confirm or refute his relationship to them. Now in his 50s, Soeun works and lives in Massachusetts with his wife and children.

“Sayon helped me realize how easily children can be exploited in war,” said Gardner. “I admire his ability to act as a mentor to children of his fellow refugees, helping them to enjoy the kind of childhood that he was denied.”

Gardner, a multiple award winner, founded The Gardner Group in 1990 to direct and produce documentaries that emphasize the human experience in the context of historical events. Cinematographer Kevin Cloutier is an Emmy award winner who has worked on CBS’ 60 Minutes and Bill Moyers Journal.

Mill Hill Playhouse is at 205 East Front Street in Trenton. Visit trentonfilmsociety.org for more information.