The plotline of the hot new movie opening in Bangkok this week seems simple enough: a heartthrob Thai photographer falls in love with his beautiful Laotian tour guide.
What’s remarkable is that the movie is set in communist Laos, a nation that has only two movie theaters, both in the capital Vientiane, and no production companies.
And where the communist government had never before allowed private firms to shoot a film.
Entitled Sabaidee Luang Prabang, or “Good Morning, Luang Prabang,” it’s the first commercial movie shot here since Laos adopted communism in 1975.
The stars are Ananda Everingham, a Laotian-Australian actor who is a major star in Thai movies, and Khamly Philavong, a fresh face from Vientiane.
The 90-minute film was released in Thailand on Thursday, after premiering, dubbed into Lao, on May 24 at the national cultural center in Vientiane. It is not clear when, or if, further screenings in Laos are planned.
Its makers hope to open a window onto Laos, beginning with the Pak Se delta, then zooming to the capital Vientiane and ending in the World Heritage-listed town of Luang Prabang.
Thai filmmaker Sakchai Deenan directed the movie in collaboration with Anousone Sirisackda, whose previous experience had been producing local music videos and public service announcements through his Lao Art Media company.
“We aim at presenting Laotian culture, our beautiful scenery and cities,” Anousone said. “Although Thailand and Laos have similar cultures, their differences are the charms that would draw people to see this movie.”
Sakchai said the story was inspired by his experiences when he first visited Laos and fell instantly in love with a Laotian woman. He says the story is based on his imaginings of having her as his tour guide.
“We wanted a soft storyline so it would not be too hard to get approval from the Lao government,” he said.
Lao authorities needed some convincing to grant permission for the film.
Although Thailand and Laos share a similar language and culture, they have had difficult relations since the communist rise to power here.
Thailand was a US rear base during the Vietnam War, and Bangkok feared that communist insurgents would try to enter the kingdom through Laos.
Laos made similar accusations against Thailand, that anti-communist insurgents were staging attacks from Thai soil.
The neighbours fought bloody border skirmishes in 1987 and 1988, but began mending relations after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Now the two are slowly growing closer, as Laos tries to integrate itself into the region and tap into the power of Southeast Asia’s growing economies.
“This marks the start of a new era of cooperation between Thailand and Laos,” Thai Ambassador to Laos Wiboon Khusakul said.
Laos remains sensitive about comparison to its larger and much wealthier neighbor, and Thai films seen as mocking the country have sparked diplomatic incidents.
Two years ago, the Lao national football team were ridiculed in the Thai comedy Mak Teh (Lucky Losers). The film’s release was canceled after Lao diplomats complained that the movie belittled Laotians.
Last year the Thai soap opera Mekong Love Song was yanked over complaints by Lao authorities. The offending scenes included a shot of a Thai actor dropping Laos’ national flower, the frangipani, in the river as he despaired over uniting with his love.
Hoping to avoid such controversies, Anousone edited the Thai script himself before submitting it to the Lao Ministry of Information and Culture.
At least one ministry official was present on set every day of shooting, to make sure that Laos culture was depicted accurately, Sakchai said.
Despite their efforts, the filmmakers cut some scenes — including references to communism — from the version dubbed into Lao.
Even though Laos has no theaters outside the capital, Sakchai said he hopes more Laotians will get to see the movie.
DISASTER: The Bangladesh Meteorological Department recorded a magnitude 5.7 and tremors reached as far as Kolkata, India, more than 300km away from the epicenter A powerful earthquake struck Bangladesh yesterday outside the crowded capital, Dhaka, killing at least five people and injuring about a hundred, the government said. The magnitude 5.5 quake struck at 10:38am near Narsingdi, Bangladesh, about 33km from Dhaka, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. The earthquake sparked fear and chaos with many in the Muslim-majority nation of 170 million people at home on their day off. AFP reporters in Dhaka said they saw people weeping in the streets while others appeared shocked. Bangladesh Interim Leader Muhammad Yunus expressed his “deep shock and sorrow over the news of casualties in various districts.” At least five people,
ON THE LAM: The Brazilian Supreme Court said that the former president tried to burn his ankle monitor off as part of an attempt to orchestrate his escape from Brazil Former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro — under house arrest while he appeals a conviction for a foiled coup attempt — was taken into custody on Saturday after the Brazilian Supreme Court deemed him a high flight risk. The court said the far-right firebrand — who was sentenced to 27 years in prison over a scheme to stop Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from taking office after the 2022 elections — had attempted to disable his ankle monitor to flee. Supreme Court judge Alexandre de Moraes said Bolsonaro’s detention was a preventive measure as final appeals play out. In a video made
It is one of the world’s most famous unsolved codes whose answer could sell for a fortune — but two US friends say they have already found the secret hidden by Kryptos. The S-shaped copper sculpture has baffled cryptography enthusiasts since its 1990 installation on the grounds of the CIA headquarters in Virginia, with three of its four messages deciphered so far. Yet K4, the final passage, has kept codebreakers scratching their heads. Sculptor Jim Sanborn, 80, has been so overwhelmed by guesses that he started charging US$50 for each response. Sanborn in August announced he would auction the 97-character solution to K4
SHOW OF FORCE: The US has held nine multilateral drills near Guam in the past four months, which Australia said was important to deter coercion in the region Five Chinese research vessels, including ships used for space and missile tracking and underwater mapping, were active in the northwest Pacific last month, as the US stepped up military exercises, data compiled by a Guam-based group shows. Rapid militarization in the northern Pacific gets insufficient attention, the Pacific Center for Island Security said, adding that it makes island populations a potential target in any great-power conflict. “If you look at the number of US and bilateral and multilateral exercises, there is a lot of activity,” Leland Bettis, the director of the group that seeks to flag regional security risks, said in an
RSS