The Khmer Empire - officially 'The Angkor Empire' was a powerful 13th century Hindu-Buddhist state in Southeast Asia. Using sophisticated technologies to see inside Khmer temples, combined with statues, casts, and documents discovered by 19th century explorers, scientists today discover how they operated, the meaning of their architecture, and how the capital become the largest city in the world.
Cinematography
Lidar scans revealing invisible cities beneath jungle canopy.
Direction
Balances colonial explorer footage with modern Khmer perspectives.
Director
Frédéric Wilner
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The term 'rediscovered' in the title is contested—Cambodians maintained continuous knowledge of Angkor Wat as a sacred site, while Western archaeology prioritized monument preservation over living religious practice.
The lidar technology shown was partly funded by a reality TV show that never aired, because the 'pristine jungle' they expected had already been partially logged.
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