Lao New Wave Cinema Productions ລາວ ນິວ ເວັບ ຊີເນມາ ໂປຣດັກຊັນ
Directed by: Xaisongkham Induangchanthy ກໍາກັບໂດຍ ໄຊສົງຄາມ ອິນດວງຈັນທີ
Written by: Vannaphone Sitthirath, Danilanh Latnhotha ບົດປະພັນໂດຍ ວັນນະພອນ ສິດທິລາດ, ດານິລັນ ລັດໂຍທາ
Co-Produced by: Vannaphone Sitthirath, Kohei Kawabata ອໍານວຍການສ້າງຮ່ວມໂດຍ ວັນນະພອນ ສິດທິລາດ, ໂກເຮອິ ກາວາບາຕະ
Genres: documentary, short ຮູບເງົາແນວ ສາລະຄະດີສັ້ນ
Duration: 25:30 mins ຄວາມຍາວ 25:30 ນາທີ
Year: 2019 ປີ 2019

ເລື່ອງລາວທີ່ໜ້າສົນໃຈຂອງມະນຸດທີ່ເຊື່ອມໂຍງຊີວິດຂອງເດັກສາວກັບກິລາຣັກບີ້ລະດັບນາໆຊາດ. ຮູບເງົາເລື່ອງ ຍ້ອນວ່າຂ້ອຍເປັນແມ່ຍິງ ຕິດຕາມ ເລົາຄັງ ເມື່ອຊີວິດຂອງນາງປ່ຽນໄປ ເມື່ອຜູ້ຮັບສະໝັກຣັກບີ້ປະກົດຕົວໃນໝູ່ບ້ານທີ່ຢູ່ຫ່າງໄກຂອງນາງໃນແຂວງຊຽງຂວາງ. ດ້ວຍແຮງບັນດານໃຈຈາກສິ່ງທີ່ນາງບໍ່ຄາດຄິດວ່າຈະເປັນໄປໄດ້, ນາງຈຶ່ງຫວນກັບຄືນມາທີ່ໝູ່ບ້ານມົ້ງ ດ້ວຍຄວາມຫວັງວ່າຈະປ່ຽນແປງຊີວິດຂອງເດັກນ້ອຍຍິງສາວຜູ້ອື່ນໆ.

A human interest story intersecting a young girl’s life with the international sport of rugby. Because I Am A Girl follows Lao Khang as her life is changed when rugby recruiters show up in her remote village in Xieng Khouang Province. Inspired by what she couldn’t conceive was possible, she returns to the Hmong village with hopes of transforming the lives of other young women.

The director, Xaisongkham Induangchanthy, witnessed first hand how his sister sacrificed her own education to ensure her family’s survival. His sister is the inspiration for Because I Am A Girl. Producer, Vannaphone Sitthirath, proudly works alongside Xaisongkham and regards him “… as one of the most forward-thinking Lao storytellers of his generation. He is the only prominent male director who focuses on women’s issues.” Lao Khang embodies the struggles of village life for girls, bringing awareness to the lack of opportunities and options available to them. Even today, in rural areas, education is prioritised for boys while girls are expected to marry and leave their family.

Rugby was introduced to Laos in the sixties, the Lao Women’s Rugby Team was established in 2008, seven years after the Lao Rugby Federation was created. Rugby finally made its way to Lao Khang’s village in Xieng Khouang Province in 2012, where Lao Khang helped organise the first tournament. This documentary was commissioned by NHK Japan as a part of a project to change gender stereotypes. It was broadcasted on NHK WORLD and shown on Yahoo! Japan.

Filmmaker’s Profile: Vannaphone Sitthirath (1978)
Born in Vientiane and an only child to politically active parents, Vannaphone Sitthirath (Kino) is well-known amongst filmmakers as a pioneer and champion of filmmaking in Laos. She is a filmmaker, media consultant, and freelance consultant for various projects and organisations.

After studying film and journalism in Australia, Vannaphone co-founded Lao New Wave Cinema Productions and also produced the company’s first feature film, At The Horizon in 2011. She had her directorial debut in 2015 with an omnibus film called Vientiane in Love. Other projects quickly followed including the short documentary, Those Below (producer 2015), Expiration Date (producer 2019), and currently in-development is Raising a Beast – a film inspired by Because I Am A Girl.

Vannaphone loves watching thrillers and dramas, citing Siddiq Barmak’s film Osama (2003) as an influential film. “Each country has its own problem and people suffer from inequity and injustice. This film inspired me to do a documentary on issues that have an impact on people’s lives.” In the future, Vannaphone would like to bring attention to the issue of sexual assault of women or girls with disabilities, a crime that is not taken seriously within the local society.

Filmography
2011 – At The Horizon, producer
2015 – Vientiane In Love, director
2015 – Those Below, producer
2019 – Expiration Date, producer
2019 – Because I Am A Girl,co-producer