To celebrate the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos, the two countries collaborated on the joint Laotian-Japanese film production “Sai Nam Lai: The River Flows”. Set on the Nam Ngum river in the outskirts of the capital city Vientiane, the story takes as its theme the historical events surrounding the construction plan of the Nam Ngum Dam Project, Laos’ first hydroelectric dam which Japan helped to build in the 1970s. Actors and actresses, directors and assistant directors and other staff, all were selected and brought together from both Laos and Japan.
- Related Countries
- Japan, Thailand, Laos
- Co-organizer(s), Cooperator(s)
- Lao New Wave Cinema Productions Co., Ltd.
From the Organizer
Filmmakers from both Laos and Japan were able to come to understand each other’s methods, way of working and techniques and work together as a team. It is the first collaborative film between Laos and Japan, and the film is scheduled to open to the public in June 2017 in Tokyo before going on general release throughout the country. Shot entirely on location in Laos, screening this treasure of a film in Japan will help to promote understanding about Laos and also play a part in boosting cultural exchange between the two countries. On this occasion a grant of approximately one third of the total budget was received. This assistance from the Japanese public institution can be seen as helping set a milestone in Laos’ reputation as a location for filmmaking. Also, as the film industry is still in its infancy in the country it is exceptionally difficult to raise money for film productions, making this an important source of funding.
