The son of a rice farmer, Raksasad portrays the hardships of working the land in his docudrama “Agrarian Utopia”. The production was set on a plot of land actually farmed by the actors, and, although fictional, the film tackles the issues of environmental sustainability with the same provocative impact as traditional cinéma vérité. The narrative follows two debt-ridden families that are forced to grow rice on someone else’s land. Jumma and Mungmeung’s families both work hard, but since they’re not landowners, what they get in return is very small. In order to feed themselves, they must dig ant holes, pick beehives, catch snakes, and hunt wild dogs. The beauty of the country – the green grass, the red glow of the setting sun – offers a striking contrast to their gruelling reality. The struggles of the two families are directly linked to survival. A heartbreaking and powerful film that melds together the beauty of the country with the weight of labour and hunger.
Producer: Pimpaka Towira | Director: Uruphong Raksasad | Composer: – | Production: EXTRA VIRGIN CO. Ltd. (99 Soi Phaholyothin 33, Phaholyothin Rd?, Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok, 10900, THAILAND) | Sales agent: EXTRA VIRGIN CO. Ltd. (99 Soi Phaholyothin 33, Phaholyothin Rd?, Ladyao, Jatujak, Bangkok, 10900, THAILAND) | Distributor: HUBERT BALS FUND (P.O. Box 21696, 3001 AR Rotterdam) | Cast : Prayad Jumma, Somnuek Mungmeung, Sai Jumma, Nikorn Mungmeung
Kleur – 122’ – Digibeta Pal – Eng-Thais
