Title of film : Sud Yod
Director Name : Ashima Aiyer
Cast & crew :
Producer : Ashima Aiyer
Editor : Max Wilde
Cast :
Synopsis : In the rice farms of Isaan, Thailand, a lack of opportunity has given way to an endless loop of poverty, child abandonment and addiction. Bpaet, a free-spirited child who discovered Muay Thai while digging for snails, has adopted a life of fighting as his chosen path. His ultimate goal: to become a professional fighter and a champion. Under the careful attention of his devoted trainer, Bpaet takes on more experienced opponents with a charming arrogance, becoming a legitimate breadwinner at 14. With each passing fight, Bpaet starts to inspire those in his corner about the power of a dream; especially his trainer, with whom a very special relationship is starting to form. Traveling forward to a competitive Muay Thai gym, a stoic yet intense adolescent Kay tries to win more than he loses. Muay Thai has changed his life, but he doesn’t know if he’s really got it in him to go all the way. Living alongside a group of young fighters just like him, Kay contemplates duty, loss, and family; doing his best to stay in the game. Now, he’s got a shot in a championship tournament, and winning it might give him the hope he needs to turn things around. In the final chapter of the film, retired champion Kiat is coming to terms with life after Muay Thai. He’s broke, has no belongings, no roots, and is trying to stay out of jail. His only lifeline is the gym he once fought for, where he works odd jobs in exchange for a roof over his head. Pressure mounts as Kiat tries to reconcile his past and present, and things finally come to a head when he visits his daughter in a nearby village. Back at the gym, a small gesture from the guys cheers up Kiat, reminding him that he’s already home.
Director Bio : After 5 years in the New York agency world as a Creative Director, Ashima Aiyer decided to take the plunge into filmmaking, paying heed to the siren song within her. She draws inspiration from her home in India as well as other Asian cultures, infusing the energy and ideas of the East into her storytelling. An innate desire to reflect the best of humanity back to itself is what drives her to make films, alongside shining a light on the social inequalities and hardships of the marginalized. Having lived, trained and fought alongside Muay Thai fighters in Thailand, she witnessed the trials faced by the economically and socially disenfranchised; leading so many young children into the ring to embrace a life of violence, for as long as it can be endured. The alternative: a life of extreme poverty, addiction and many times, death. What she found most touching though, was the sense of family and brotherhood these fighters found through an otherwise unforgiving sport. Given her love and deep admiration for Muay Thai, Thailand and its people, it was obvious that this would be the first story she would tell. She is now developing a short film about music industry maverick Sophia Chang, featuring the Wu Tang Clan and other hip hop luminaries. The film will explore the intersectionality of asian and street culture, against a backdrop of immigration, black youth exploitation and being a woman in a male dominated world.
Filmography :
