The $3 Million Statue Stolen from Cambodia

This documentary follows the extraordinary journey of a Khmer temple statue, looted during Cambodia’s civil war in the 1970s and resurfacing over forty years later in a Sotheby’s auction catalogue with a price tag of three million dollars. Through a gripping investigation, the film exposes the legal maneuvers used by the auction house to legitimize the sale — including the claim that Cambodia could not prove ownership of its own heritage. It also uncovers the role of unscrupulous art dealers and reveals that even prestigious museums display stolen artifacts. Featuring rare testimonies, including that of a key Bangkok art trafficker, the documentary sheds light on the shadowy and lucrative world of illicit antiquities. Ultimately, the story ends with a landmark victory: the statue’s repatriation, setting a powerful precedent for the global return of looted cultural treasures. Director : Wolfgang Luck