Sabaidee Luang Prabang
Encyclopedia
Sabaidee Luang Prabang is a 2008
romantic drama film directed by Sakchai Deenan and starring Ananda Everingham
. It was the first commercial film shot in Laos
since the country adopted communism in 1975.
photographer visiting Laos, falls in love with his beautiful Laotian tour guide, Noi (Pallawong). The film features several tourist sites in Laos.
) and was released in Thai on June 5. Open-air screenings occurred throughout Laos, including the UNESCO
World Heritage city of Luang Prabang
. Upon its release, it was the first Laotian private film, authorities seeing Sabaidee Luang Prabang as the start of a new source of income. The aim of the film was also to encourage bilateral cooperation between Thailand and Laos.
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
romantic drama film directed by Sakchai Deenan and starring Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
. It was the first commercial film shot in Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
since the country adopted communism in 1975.
Plot
Sorn (Everingham), a ThaiThailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
photographer visiting Laos, falls in love with his beautiful Laotian tour guide, Noi (Pallawong). The film features several tourist sites in Laos.
Production
Director Sakchai Deenan claimed the plotline was inspired by a visit to Laos in which he fell in love with a Laotian woman and imagining her as a tour guide. He deliberately created a simple plot "so it would not be too hard to get approval from the Lao government." Previously, the only Laotian films were propaganda and patriotism related, produced by the government. A government member oversaw the production of Sabaidee Luang Prabang so that it portrayed Laotian culture in a positive manner and cut any scenes that the Lao government may perceive to be controversial.Release
The film premiered on May 24, 2008 at one of Laos' two theaters (both located in its capital, VientianeVientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
) and was released in Thai on June 5. Open-air screenings occurred throughout Laos, including the UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage city of Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
. Upon its release, it was the first Laotian private film, authorities seeing Sabaidee Luang Prabang as the start of a new source of income. The aim of the film was also to encourage bilateral cooperation between Thailand and Laos.