Chanthaly (ຈັນທະລີ)
Lao Art Media (ລາວ ອາຣ໌ດ ມີເດຍ)
Directed by: Mattie Do (ກໍາກັບໂດຍ: ແມັດຕີ້ ໂດ)
Written by: Christopher Larsen, Douangmany Soliphanh (ບົດປະພັນໂດຍ: ຄຣິສໂຕເຟີ້ ລາຣ໌ເຊັນ, ດວງມະນີ ໂສລິພັນ)
Genres: horror, drama (ຮູບເງົາແນວ ລະຄອນສະຫຍອງຂວັນ)
Duration: 1 hr 38 mins (ຄວາມຍາວ 1 ຊົ່ວໂມງ 38 ນາທີ)
Year: 2013 (ປີ 2013)

ຮູບເງົາເລື່ອງຈັນທະລີ ແມ່ນເລື່ອງລາວຂອງຍິງສາວຄົນໜຶ່ງທີ່ມີອາການເຈັບປ່ວຍ ຊຶ່ງພໍ່ຂອງນາງເປັນຜູ້ເບີ່ງແຍງລ້ຽງດູ ແລະ ຖືກແມ່ຂອງນາງຕາມຫຼອກຫຼອນ. ເພື່ອເປັນການປົກປ້ອງນາງ, ນາງ ຈັນ ຈຶ່ງຖືກຫ້າມບໍ່ໃຫ້ອອກຈາກບໍລິເວນບ້ານ. ນາງເຮັດວຽກເຮືອນໝົດມື້ ທັ້ງເປັນຜູ້ຊັກເຄື່ອງ ແລະ ກຽມອາຫານໃຫ້ພໍ່ຂອງນາງໃນຕອນແລງ. ນາງມີພຽງແຕ່ໝາໂຕໜຶ່ງທີ່ຊື່ ໝູ ທີ່ເປັນໝູ່ແທ້ພຽງຄົນດຽວ.​ການຖືກກັກຂັງ ທີ່ມີພ້ອມກັບຄວາມເຫງົາ ແລະ ຍາງຄັ້ງອາດຈະຖືໄດ້ວ່າເປັນຢາຂອງ ນາງ ຈັນ ຈຶ່ງເຮັດໃຫ້ນາງຕ້ອງສື່ສານກັບແມ່ຂອງນາງ ຜູ້ທີ່ໄດ້ລ່ວງລັບໄປແລ້ວ. ນາງ ຈັນ ຈຶ່ງໄດ້ພະຍາຍາມທີ່ຈະຄົ້ນຫາຄໍາຕອບ ເພື່ອເປີດເຜີຍຄວາມຊົງຈໍາ ແລະ ໄຂ່ວຄ້ວາຄວາມຫວັງຈາກຊີວິດຫຼັງຄວາມຕາຍ.

Chanthaly is the story of a sickly young woman who is raised by her father and haunted by her mother. For her protection, Chan is forbidden to leave the premises of her home. She works all day as a laundress and prepares dinner for her father in the evening. Her dog, Moo, is her only true companion. Chan’s confinement, loneliness, and perhaps her medication, leads her to communicate with her dead mother. Trying to find answers to surfacing memories, Chan reaches for hope from the afterlife.

Chanthaly is Mattie Do’s directorial debut. It was filmed, written, and directed entirely in Laos. It is the first Lao film to be screened at major film festivals, such as the 2013 Fantastic Fest in Austin, Texas, USA. Although considered to be a horror film, viewers will find there is more depth and nuance, giving a peek into religious, spiritual superstition and modern cultural conflict. There are themes of regret, betrayal, and the film questions if the grass is always greener on the other side.

The film was funded by Namkhong Beer for $4500, $500 worth of donated beer, and a product placement agreement. This is the first time product placement was prominently integrated into a Lao film. Today, Chanthaly is a requiem for Mattie’s dog, Mango, who had a starring role as the solid support for Chan. Mango passed away a few years after this movie was filmed.

Filmmaker’s Profile: Mattie Do (1981)
Born in Los Angeles to immigrant parents, Mattie Do moved with her father back to Laos in 2010 when he retired. She currently resides in Vientiane and is a self-taught, feature film director and producer.

A serendipitous encounter with the founders of Lao Art Media Productions was the unexpected start to Mattie Do’s filmmaking career. Due to her multi-cultural background, she was met with resistance and questions arose surrounding her Lao authenticity. Enraged and annoyed that others should think it fit to decide her identity for her, she took it as a personal challenge. In her filmmaking journey, she came to realize that, “Lao women, or women of color for that matter, can’t make something that’s just as good as others. They seem to have to work a hundred times more to prove themselves.”

Originally trained as a make-up artist, Mattie still does make-up on set. It gives her a private moment to feel the vibe of the scene and connect with the actor. Her experience as a former ballet instructor has also seeped into her films. Mattie says, “I believe I am able to make movies because of my ballet background. I think the way we communicate onscreen is the way we create in dance.”

Mattie followed up Chanthaly with Dearest Sister (2016). It was Laos’ first official submission considered for an Oscar in the category of Best Foreign Language film at the 90th Academy Awards. Mattie’s third feature film and most acclaimed work to date, The Long Walk (2019), premiered at the Giornate degli Autori in Venice and was awarded Best Director at Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival. She also garnered the Best International Director award at Lusca Fantastic Film Fest in Puerto Rico.

Filmography
2013 – Chanthaly, director, producer
2015 – River, producer
2016 – Bangkok Nites, co-producer
2016 – Dearest Sister, director, producer, make-up
2019 – The Long Walk, director, producer
2021 – Creep Show, writer