When my father died I decided to make a film about him. It sounds simple but it wasn’t. To be able to carry out the project I needed to stay in Isaan, because I truly wanted to experience what he experienced in the last part of his life.
My dad lived in a village in northeast of Thailand and that’s also where his life ended, very far from Sweden. I knew he loved this area and I wanted to understand why. I didn’t get the chance to visit him these last years, I was busy with my own kids and my career as a writer and filmmaker. I didn’t know how to make it happen until I found Samrit Residency and applied. The village seemed to resemble the one I visited to attend my father's funeral.
I did not expect the stay to have such an impact on my life and art on many levels. On, Art and Aek are super nice people, as everybody will tell you, they all took us in with Isaan hospitality.
In the mornings I edited my material in the studio with king number 9 watching over me. During the days I filmed everyday life in the village. Details. The monks just sitting around by the temple. Women preparing food. The fires. Our daily walks. Visiting the local school. People calling our names and then hiding. The dogs. The cats. Going to the supermarket. Taking the bus to Korat for some city life. Our evenings. My partner Martin joined me on this journey, it was our first long trip together and we were still very much in love. This trip became part of our love story too. We had wine and cheese by our room, or joined the family at their outdoor combined restaurant and kitchen. Every night we listened to the girls practicing traditional Isaan folkdance in the yard outside by Buddha. Preparing for a great party in the honour of On.
I felt very connected to On, the mother in the family. I feel she really understood what I was looking for in my art and she suggested a few things that helped me get a closure. She brought us to see her sons rowing team, she let us feel like part of her clan and finally, she took us to participate in a funeral, which was a healing experience on a personal level, but also a grand final for my film. You could say she gave me the perfect ending.
I felt very connected to On, the mother in the family. I feel she really understood what I was looking for in my art and she suggested a few things that helped me get a closure. She brought us to see her sons rowing team, she let us feel like part of her clan and finally, she took us to participate in a funeral, which was a healing experience on a personal level, but also a grand final for my film. You could say she gave me the perfect ending.
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