Of khaen and men

Thai Country Living, a short film documentary released in 2020, is a delightful sojourn into the rural life of khaen maker Suman “Chang Bour” Tapkham, his family and village in the peaceful backwaters of the Isan region.

Directed by Tubby Brother for the UK-based media agency Tubby Brother Films, the 15-minute film has garnered a number of festival awards, and was a shortlisted finalist for the Canada Shorts Film Festival in 2020. Joe Cummings, former Lonely Planet compiler, did the research.

There aren’t many international films on khaen makers, and in fact, not too many on Thai traditional music either. In recent years I can only think of Y/Our Music, a full-length UK/Thai film directed and produced by Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every and David Reeve, which focuses on nine different Thai musicians, including master khaen…