Director: Uruphong Raksasad
Country: Thailand
Runtime: 75 min
Rating: G
Fans and filmmakers alike often forget that there is more than one way to tell a story or convey a message. While many have come to expect modern film to contain a great deal of spoken word, directors such as Uruphong Raksasad do not believe it to be necessary. The Songs of Rice is a documentary that aims to express the importance of rice to a community in rural Thailand. This film conveys its ideas through gorgeous imagery as opposed to speech, of which it contains very little, transcending any language barrier that may exist. The result is a film that is stunning to look at, but may not provide as much educational value as otherwise would have been present.
The Songs of Rice is a film that demonstrates how a simple food source has come to affect every aspect of life for citizens of a certain rural Thai community. The film focuses more on the natural plant that makes up the scenery and its cultural and religious importance, as opposed to the industrial food side of the story. An entire and foreign way of life is depicted that revolves completely around rice, which provides opportunity for work as well as worship, and food as well as offering. In a rare moment of speech, an elder claims, “With rice in their belly, they will always be happy.” These brief and simple words sufficiently sum up the attitude these people take towards rice, and its importance to their everyday lives.
It cannot be doubted that the cinematography in this film is very strong, as it reveals beautiful scenery filmed in Thailand. The work is full to the brim with music, dance, and celebration, and the score by Wuttipong Leetrakul is a strong addition as well. There are even moments of drama, highlighted by slow motion filming, and occasional humour throughout; at the screening I attended, laughter was sporadically heard throughout the theatre. However, the clear void in the storytelling front cannot be ignored. The audience may be able to see these individuals as they act, but without words of explanation, it becomes difficult at times to fully understand their way of life. This film provides much on which to feast ones eyes, but does not necessarily provide the substance that would allow one to come to a full understanding of its topic.
The Songs of Rice is a documentary film that raises questions, not necessarily about its subject matter but about the nature of nonfiction film instead. Can a successful documentary be almost exclusively visual, and still educate its audience? I believe that this feat is possible, and is partially demonstrated by this film. When processes are shown but not explained, an audience is challenged to actively think and puzzle out that which they are witnessing, instead of being afforded the luxury of passive viewing. This partial comprehension actually helped to hold my attention throughout this work. Nevertheless, I do believe that a bit more speech would have afforded an even greater understanding of this community and the integral spot that rice holds within it. Like rice, the film is full of the bulk of imagery, but could do with a bit more substance in the form of explanation.
