Award-winning film, The Long Walk (ບໍ່ມີວັນຈາກ) premiered in its home country of Laos yesterday evening at a special screening in Vientiane.
The premiere event, held at Major Platinum Cineplex in Vientiane Capital, was attended by Director of the Department of Cinema, Ministry of Information and Culture, Khamphao Vannavong, United States Ambassador to Laos, Dr. Peter M. Haymond, ambassadors, high-ranking officials, and invited guests.
Produced by Lao Art Media in collaboration with Screen Division in Spain, and Singaporean production companies, The Long Walk was the first film in Lao history to have premiered at several prestigious film festivals around the world.
The Long Walk was shown at festivals considered to be the top festivals globally, such as: Venice International Film Festival, Toronto (TIFF), Busan, Goteborg, IFFR Rotterdam, Tokyo International Film Festival, Warsaw International Film Festival, FIFF Namur, and Sitges.
The film, starring Lao actors Siengyan Chanthalangsy, Por Silitsa, Noutnapha Soydala, Vilouna Totlina Phetmany, and Chansamone Inoudome, won multiple awards abroad in the categories of Best Actor (Siengyan & Por) in USA and Philippines, Best Cinematography (Matthew Macar) USA, Best Director (Mattie Do) Spain and Puerto Rico, and an award for Innovation in Storytelling in the USA.
The story features the struggles of an old hermit in the countryside as he deals with regret and trauma from having lost his mother as a young boy. When he discovers that he has the chance to travel back in time to revisit himself as a child, he attempts to manipulate his timeline, inadvertently changing the young boy’s life and his own present irreparably.
Speaking at the event, Director Mattie Do said, “I really hope that this film will resonate with our local audiences. We are overjoyed that it was received so well internationally, and now that the film is home, we hope that our audiences can also be proud and happy to support arts and entertainment from our home country.”
The Long Walk will be released locally at Major Cineplex and Cityplex Dongdok this Thursday with English subtitles.
