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Agrarian Utopia

Original Title: Sawan baan na

Released: 2009

Country: Thailand

Director: Uruphong Raksasad

Language: Thai

Theme: Social & Economic Issues

Genre: Drama

Summary

Two families are employed by a landowner to work on his rice fields. One of them, used to own their own land, but was evicted for being unable to keep up with his hefty loan payments. In the absence of machinery, they plant rice using traditional farming methods and an untrained buffalo. However, the low market prices for rice mean that they have to supplement their income with picking wild mushrooms. They also eat wild frogs, snakes and honeycomb when their income proves to be too meagre to feed the family. In contrast, a neighboring farmer, a retired teacher, farms his land organically and hopes to keep the land fertile with the rice stalks, so that he will always be able to grow food for himself. Thai director Uruphong Raksasad had grown up in the same village where the film is beautifully shot, and had chosen to use local farmers as his actors.

Awards/Festivals: NETPAC Special Mention Award, International Film Festival Rotterdam; Special Mention Award, Barcelona Asian Film Festival; NETPAC Award, Brisbane International Film Festival; Golden Hanoman Award, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival; NETPAC Award, Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival; Best Narrative Film, Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival; !f Inspired Award – Most Inspired Director, !f International Independent Film Festival, Istanbul; Special Jury Award, Millenium International Documentary Film Festival; Green Chilies Award (Best Film), Asian Hot Shot Berlin Festival; Hong Kong International Film Festival; Singapore International Film Festival; Jeonju International Film Festival; Libertas Film Festival; Filmfest Munchen; Vancouver International Film Festival; Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival; Flanders International Film Festival Ghent; Mumbai Film Festival; Vienna International Film Festival; Asiaticafilmmediale, Rome; Mar del Plata International Film Festival; Taipei Golden Horse International Film Festival; International Film Festival Bratislava; International Film Festival of Kerala; Pune International Film Festival; Fajr International Film Festival; San Francisco Asian American Film Festival.