Featured Films of Cultural Exploration

“7 Years Later” – Lanna Collaborative Performance (Song, Dance & Painting) Date of Performance: 23–25 March 2018 at Subsan Lanna Theater, Lanna Wisdom School, Chiangmai Thailand Background: In 2010, Ronnarong Khampha (dancer), Maneerat Rattanang (singer), and Neti Phikroh (painter) created a collaborative performance entitled “Before 30.” Seven years later, after each artist continued to grow through their individual artistic journeys, this new work emerged as a further development of that collaboration, now titled “7 Years Later.” This is a unique combination of talents that work so well together demonstrating what contemporary Lanna performances can look like now and into the future. This is a powerful and wonderfully executed multimedia show. They continue to perform together in the present.

This show, chosen for the New Year’s Eve event at the Anantara Hotel , was created by Sirisook Dance Theater for international family audiences. It contains a series of song and dance hits from the Disney family repertoire now played back in Lanna style with spectacular costumes and bold dance moves. Songs we recognize and we have heard many times before receive a new life with the excitement of the Lanna style dancers as they take flight across the stage. We are thrilled to see how these Disney classics are loved by these Thai artists as they throw themselves into the material as if it was their own. This generates a beautiful feeling of friendship between artists and audience as Thais offer their respect for western culture by selecting songs from well- known productions like “Frozen”and “Beauty and the Beast”. And they end their show with a salute to the beauty of their own culture with a martial arts drum and dance presentation celebrating the strength of women in an empowering and entertaining Lanna style!

This description of the show begins with an apology for the obstructed views of the show. It was and remains the toughest show I ever recorded as I was scrambling to get clear views of the stage. So the description reads as follows: We can only offer you glimpses of the Lanna production as the Hotel insisted that guest cameras were to be situated far back from the stage behind the diners and the waiters serving them. We captured fleeting moments of a scene due to the passage of waiters and audience members back and forth in front of the camera. Nevertheless, what we have filmed contains some beautiful and heartbreaking glimpses from the Phantom that we wanted to share: It is Phantom time at the Anantara Hotel in Chiang Mai Thailand for the Western New Year’s Eve as presented by the Sirisook Dance Theater. This version of the Phantom of the Opera unfolds as a series of live songs and dance that capture the essence of the story in dramatic Lanna style acting and dance. We see key scenes in their sequence as the Phantom, a disfigured musical genius, obsesses over the soprano, Christine, whom he mentors then eventually falls in love with. We feel his despair and see his mounting rage as he realizes he has lost the woman he loves to her childhood friend, Raoul, a younger and more appealing man. We include scenes of the curtain call to capture some of the beautiful costumes that were on display in that show all the way through it.

Set in the cool January air of Chiang Mai, this film offers another glimpse into the ancient Lanna tradition of Tan Khao Mai—a ceremonial celebration of gratitude, renewal, and reverence. It celebrates and gives thanks for a successful crop of rice and offers prayers to the Buddha for a successful rice crop to come the following year. Filmed at the beautifully preserved Wat Intharawat (Wat Ton Kwen), one of the last remaining wooden temples in the region, the documentary captures a deeply spiritual moment in the life of the local community. From dawn until nightfall, villagers gather to offer rice and food to the Buddha, light a towering candle in a monastic rite, and ignite a symbolic bonfire—meant to warm the Buddha during the cold season. As flames dance into the twilight, participants circle the fire in prayerful movement, giving thanks for the past year’s harvest and making merit through intention, ritual, and action towards the The evening culminates in a vibrant Serpent procession and its burnt offering in a cultural spectacle of bonfire, music, light, and traditional Lanna dance. With its richly textured visuals, traditional costumes, and immersive access to a ceremony rarely seen by Western eyes, the film celebrates Thai Buddhist devotion and an intimate portrayal of a community honoring its ancestral roots through ritual and joy.

This documentary celebrating dance, identity, and the spirit of Northern Thailand follows Waewdao Sirisook and her dynamic dance-theatre troupe as they bring the vibrant traditions and innovations of Lanna culture to life — from five-star hotel stages to temple grounds, university parking lots, and remote village clearings along the Mekong River. Lanna Style and Grace is a visually stunning journey through movement, music, and meaning. Whether performing a dazzling Lanna reinterpretation of The Phantom of the Opera for international tourists on New Year’s Eve, collaborating with a French contemporary dance troupe to challenge Thai audiences at Chiang Mai University, or offering traditional dances in a Lao village as sacred tributes to their shared traditions, Waewdao’s troupe adapts with grace, purpose, and cultural pride. More than just performance, this documentary reveals how dance can become a voice for change. Through their expressive choreography, the troupe raises powerful questions about serious issues like environmental protection in Doi Suthep, or the struggles of displaced immigrants, Shot against the lush and varied backdrops of Northern Thailand, the film is a celebration of handmade Lanna textiles, rich traditions, and the joy of creative collaboration. With every rehearsal and performance, Waewdao exudes calm and joy — inspiring her dancers to move with passion and authenticity. Lanna Style and Grace is a tribute to the power of art as both cultural preservation and social commentary. It’s a must-watch for anyone interested in dance, identity, and the unifying spirit of performance.

Dancing With Opas is a captivating documentary that follows renowned Thai dancer and choreographer Opas Yarcammee as he trains and inspires a new generation of performers in Chiang Mai. With a contagious passion for the art of dance and a deep reverence for Thai culture, Opas blends tradition and innovation to create something truly his own. The film begins in Opas' studio, where he teaches Thai classical dance to a lively group of teens. We witness the transformation from playful students to focused performers under his encouraging yet disciplined guidance. His charisma, warmth, and humor foster an environment where creativity thrives and cultural legacy is honored. As rehearsals evolve, Opas begins to weave Western elements—like Latin and ballroom steps—into the fabric of traditional Thai choreography, crafting performances that are both deeply rooted and refreshingly modern. We follow him and his troupe as they take the stage at a variety of venues, from school events to major festivals, culminating in a spectacular performance during Chiang Mai’s 720th anniversary celebration as a city..

Set against the shimmering waters of Thailand beneath a full-moon sky, Loy Krathong is a visual and cultural journey into one of the country’s most enchanting festivals. Celebrated annually in the twelfth lunar month, this deeply symbolic event invites participants to release handmade offerings—krathongs crafted from banana leaves and lit with candles—into rivers and canals, creating a breathtaking spectacle of floating light. These ritual offerings draw participants into the spiritual layers of the tradition: honoring Phra Mae Khongkha, the Goddess of Water, in gratitude for her life- sustaining gifts of rivers, lakes, and oceans; paying homage to the Buddha in the hope that the offerings reach sacred realms; and embracing themes of forgiveness, renewal, and letting go in the year to come. Interwoven with scenes of a vibrant parade, such as this one in Chiang Mai, with its traditional music, spiritual imagery, and warm community celebration, Loy Krathong offers a poetic reflection on the bond between humanity, nature, and the divine. More than a festival, it is a moment of collective release—where candlelit prayers drift across the water, carrying wishes into the night.

The beautiful thing about the Songkran Festival is that it combines the ritual of splashing the Buddha with the splashing of everyone else walking in the parade.  It “makes merit” for everyone while they are engaged in a huge water fight for fun and for the Buddha. The term “making merit” refers to the act of performing good deeds or actions that are believed to bring spiritual benefits, such as participating in religious ceremonies or performing acts of kindness.

This bar was an absolute favorite rendezvous for blues lovers in Chiang Mai. It was owned and operated by Boy, a Thai musician who was an excellent blues guitar player who brought in many other Thai musicians who are also gifted blues players. They would play blues classics or just jam like crazy and it was exhilarating and fun to experience. Only now that I am back in Thailand (2026 or Thai 2569) did I learn the following sad news: “Boy, the beloved musician and owner of Boy Blues Bar at Chiang Mai's Kalare Night Bazaar, passed away around May 2024, with tributes marking the anniversary of his "exit from the stage," leaving a void in the local music scene, though others have tried to keep the spirit alive. “ This short film offers you a bit of a glimpse into the scene there when local Thai artists and some skilled ex-pats would get together with Boy and create exciting music for the sheer hell of it! He will be hugely missed! And Thai blues musicians will reappear in a bar near you in Chiang Mai!