Claim: John Malkovich acted in The Killing Fields.

The Killing Fields is a 1984 British biographical drama film about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia , which is based on the experiences of two journalists : Cambodian Dith Pran and American Sydney Schanberg . It was directed by Roland Joffé and produced by David Puttnam for his company Goldcrest Films . Sam Waterston stars as Schanberg , Haing S. Ngor as Pran , Julian Sands as Jon Swain , and John Malkovich as Al Rockoff . The adaptation for the screen was written by Bruce Robinson ; the musical score was written by Mike Oldfield and orchestrated by David Bedford .   The film was a success at the box office as well as being an instant hit with critics . At the 57th Academy Awards it received eight Oscar nominations ; including Best Picture ; it won three , most notably Best Supporting Actor for Haing S. Ngor , who had had no previous acting experience . At the 38th British Academy Film Awards , it won eight BAFTAs , including Best Film and Best Actor in a Leading Role for Ngor .   In 1999 the British Film Institute voted The Killing Fields the 100th greatest British film of all time .