Lao New Wave Cinema Productions
Directed by: Anysay Keola
Written by: Anysay Keola, Lee Phongsavanh, Phonesavanh Saengphachan
Genres: comedy, romance
Duration: 1 hr 34 mins
Year: 2019

Expiration Date is a fun-filled romantic comedy road trip that takes you on a beautiful tour of Laos through several provinces from the north to the south. It is the story of Khai and Khuan, who spontaneously and rather grudgingly end up traveling together. From heartache to new beginnings, the two find themselves on a journey of self-discovery and meaning.

Expiration Date was made with the intent of “building a business model for a sustainable Lao film that is profitable and attractive to Lao viewers.” As suggested by the title, the film ponders the underlying notion that relationships eventually expire. The main character, Khai, realizes this when he discovers he can foretell the expiration date of couples. Khai’s nose hairs have a small part in the film, adding an unexpected twist of magic and comedy and begging the question, will Khai find a love that has no expiration date?

The film was shot in 22 days over ten provinces and was shown at Major Cineplex Cinemas in Laos. Anysay is proud to have completed this film with “the trust of the crew and main actors. It’s a lot of pressure on the director. This was an experiment for this model of filmmaking. They accepted that the returns would not go into their pockets. It wasn’t record breaking, but it covered our expenses.”

Filmmaker’s Profile: Anysay Keola (1983)
The oldest of three children and only son of a mother who worked for the Ministry of Environment and a father who was a business consultant to a foreign construction company, Anysay Keola grew up knowing he would have to go to college. He agreed to go on the condition that he could choose his own major. Anysay completed a Bachelors of Multimedia Systems at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia and graduated with a Masters of Art in Film at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Though conservative in their thinking, his parents have always been supportive of his work.

Anysay is a full time filmmaker and Managing Director of Lao New Wave Cinema Productions, which he co-founded in 2012. Motivated to transform the Lao film industry to one day be as big as Thailand’s, he is passionate about inspiring positivity and bringing to light the irony of life. Anysay’s other works include At The Horizon (2011), Vientiane in Love (2014), Above It All (2015), and Mekong 2030 (2020). Expiration Date is the biggest budget movie to date for Lao New Wave Cinema. It was funded by the Lao Filmmakers Fund, the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, and through the support of businesses.

Away from his work, Anysay cherishes time spent with his family: building Gundam models with his son and taking his daughter on weekend trips. Of course, he loves watching movies and is most affected by the movie Saw (2004) with its “impressive plot twists and showing that a movie can be made outside the box and be successful.”

Filmography
2011 – At The Horizon, director, writer, editor
2015 – Vientiane In Love, co-director
2015 – Above It All, director, writer
2019 – Expiration Date, director, writer, editor
2020 – Mekong 2030, director, writer, editor