There are so many movies being produced these days that the premiere
of most films hardly merits a second look. But in Laos there is cause
for genuine excitement. Thirty-three years after the communist
government overthrew the king and seized power, the south-east Asian
nation has just produced its first privately funded movie, Good
Morning, Luang Prabang.

The plot is simple enough; a Thai photographer visiting Laos falls in
love with his beautiful Laotian tour guide. But much more remarkable
than the plot-line, is that the communist government, having for years
seen cinema as nothing more than an opportunity for propaganda, has
given its support to the movie. As such there are hopes that Good
Morning, Luang Prabang, which recently premiered at one of the
country's two cinemas, might be the first of many.

"We aim at presenting Laotian culture, our beautiful scenery and
cities," said Anousone Sirisackda, a Lao video producer who was
involved in making the film with the Thai director, Sakchai Deenan.
"Although Thailand and Laos have similar cultures, their differences
are the charms that would draw people to see this movie."

Under the communist Pathet Lao group, the only movies produced in the
former French colony were crude propaganda films and a handful of
patriotic films funded by the government. Now, the authorities believe
that allowing filming in Laos and helping develop the country's film
industry could be a vital source of income for the country.

Not that everything has suddenly become easy. A member of the
government was on the set every day to ensure that Laotian culture was
portrayed appropriately and the team behind the movie cut a number of
scenes they believed might be controversial. They also deliberately
chose a plot that would not challenge the authorities. "We wanted a
soft storyline so it would not be too hard to get approval from the
Lao government," said Sakchai.

Starring Ananda Everingham, a Laotian-Australian actor, and the
Laotian actress Khamly Philavong, the movie also represents a means of
strengthening ties between Laos and Thailand. Relations between the
Western-backed Thailand and the communist government of Laos have not
always been easy. The two countries fought border skirmishes in the
late 1980s.

And movies have previously not helped matters either. Two years ago,
the Lao national football team were ridiculed in the Thai comedy Mak
Teh (Lucky Losers). The film's release was cancelled after Laotian
diplomats complained that it made fun of the country and its people.
And last year, the Thai soap opera Mekong Love Song was pulled after
similar complaints from Lao authorities. Apparently the scene deemed
the most offensive included a Thai actor dropping Laos's national
flower, the frangipani, in a river as he pined for his lover.

Having premiered in Laos's capital Vientiane and shown in Thailand,
the producers are hoping to organise open-air screenings so that more
people in Laos – including those in the Unesco World Heritage city,
Luang Prabang, which gives the film its title – will be able to see
the movie.
Link:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/good-morning-luang-praba...