Biography – Singapore, Thailand Production year: 2010 Movie length: 85 minutes
Director: Lasse Nielsen, Bancha Khemngeun Writer: Lasse Nielsen Cinematograph: Bancha Khemngeun Music: Chiang Mai
Movie description:
Orphaned by the death of his mother, 12-year-old Net arrives in a rural Thai village with a letter introducing him to his father – a father he never knew (and who never knew he had a son). Embarrassed in front of his new family, the father at first rejects Net, but gradually grows closer to the boy. Being deaf-mute does not hinder Net from other relationships in the village – both positive and negative. Thai boxing, gambling, first love, and a brief career with the local mafia all contribute to Net’s coming-of-age.
»The Story of Net« is the result of a community project which Nielsen initiated in Thailand. A group of young people in a small Thai village were encouraged to tell stories from their own life and the lives of other villagers.It took three years of time, from 2007 to 2010, until the film was finished. From these stories, Nielsen wrote a screenplay, and then directed the movie, using only people from the village as both actors and crew. The co-director/cameraman, Bancha Khemngeun, is a village man with no previous film experience. He also plays the role of the Father.