Som Ock Southiponh

Som Ock Southiphonh (Lao: ສົມອົກ ສຸດທິຜົນ, Thai: สมอก สุดทิพน) is a Laotian film director, screenwriter and film producer. Trained in Czechoslovakia, his films include Red Lotus, which was made in 1988 and is the last feature film made in Laos until more recent productions like Sabaidee Luang Prabang or Chanthaly. Since then, Som Ock has run a bakery in Vientiane to supplement his income while he tries to independently produce films.

Biography Som Ock Southiphonh was among six Laotians selected in 1977 by the communist government of Laos to study filmmaking in Prague. Originally wanting to study law, filmmaking was not Southiphonh's first choice, but he agreed because he would get to travel abroad. He was enrolled in the Faculty of Film and Television, Academy of Arts and Music, at Charles University in Prague, where he studied cinematography under Jan Machane of Barrandov Studios. Southiphonh spent nine years studying in Prague, and was the only one of the six Laotian students to complete his training.

During his time in Prague, he returned to Laos to film a 16-mm documentary, Country of a Million Elephants, which became has graduation film and was broadcast on Czech television. He returned to Laos for good in 1987 and began working for Lao National Television as a director and cameraman.

The video was shown at the 1994 Jeux de la Francophonie, and was awarded a Medal of Merit. The film was also shown at the Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival in 1995.

Southiphonh has also completed another short documentary, The Lao Lamvong, about a Laotian traditional dance.

Meanwhile, he has tried to complete another feature film, and has written a 120-page script for a drama film about friendship, tentatively titled Given Time (Kala Vela).

But the Laotian market for films is too small and there is no funding for film projects available.

"The only thing we can hope for is that through co-production, meaning 100% foreign financing and 100% Laotian talent, Laotian cinema can keep, at least momentarily, its artisans active until better days arrive," Southiponh said.

It is our hope that through our efforts, we can help build a domestic Laotian cinema culture, one that is independent and that captures the essence of Laos as a country, its people, and its deep-rooted culture and arts. Then I dream that when people praise recent Asian cinema, they will include Laos as well.