The project was inspired by an interview with a person who participated in the student revolutionary movement in 1976. Since her family, especially her father, used to work with United States Operation Mission in Bangkok, she grew up under the influence of the American dream and the concept of liberty and justice. Her story initiated me to further investigate the related subjects and turn it into a film. My research focuses on the historical relationship between the United States and Thailand and the concept of crypto-colonization during the Cold War through archival materials including documents, magazines, and films produced by United States Information Service. I want to show the aftereffects of the so-called “development” that resulted from the era, how it paradoxically exploits people outside central Bangkok. HERE WE ARE seeks to portray the present by reflecting on the past, how the legacy of colonization has survived and been normalized nowadays.
Chanasorn Chaikitiporn
