The Importance of Being Mlabri (2007)

There are only 320 Mlabri people left on this planet. They came out of the jungle in Northern Thailand on the border to Laos one generation ago. The Mlabri people used to be hunters and gatherers. Today they scrape out a meagre existence at the bottom of society working as day labourers for the Hmong farmers, and living in shacks on the outskirts of larger Hmong villages. The Mlabri people are currently going through a transformation process, which has taken many other people thousands of years. Now the young people are faced with the choice of staying with their families in the village or adapting to the Thai society. How do they experience the meeting between their own culture and the local, regional and national majority cultures? In this film young Mlabri tell about their past, present and future as they see it; all expressed in their unique and expressive Mlabri language.

Director: Signe Byrge Sørensen, Janus Billeskov Jansen
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 63 min
Release Date:
Production: Final Cut for Real, Det Danske Filminstitut, Nordic Film and Television Fund
Country: Denmark, Thailand
Language: English, ภาษาไทย
Original Language: da

Keywords

thailand, southeast asia, mlabri, asian studies

More Films by Director: Signe Byrge Sørensen, Janus Billeskov Jansen
More Films in Genre: Documentary

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Importance of Being Mlabri about?
There are only 320 Mlabri people left on this planet. They came out of the jungle in Northern Thailand on the border to Laos one generation ago. The Mlabri people used to be hunters and gatherers. Today they scrape out a meagre existence at the bottom of society working as day labourers for the Hmong farmers, and living in shacks on the outskirts of larger Hmong villages. The Mlabri people are currently going through a transformation process, which has taken many other people thousands of years. Now the young people are faced with the choice of staying with their families in the village or adapting to the Thai society. How do they experience the meeting between their own culture and the local, regional and national majority cultures? In this film young Mlabri tell about their past, present and future as they see it; all expressed in their unique and expressive Mlabri language.
Who directed The Importance of Being Mlabri?
The Importance of Being Mlabri was directed by Signe Byrge Sørensen, Janus Billeskov Jansen.
How long is The Importance of Being Mlabri?
The Importance of Being Mlabri has a runtime of 1h 3m (63 minutes).
What genre is The Importance of Being Mlabri?
The Importance of Being Mlabri is a Documentary film.
Where was The Importance of Being Mlabri produced?
The Importance of Being Mlabri was produced in Denmark, Thailand.