CAST & CREW
Directed by
Claudia Bellasi
Markus Steiner Ender
Producers
Josep Piris
Lu Pulici
Cast
Siphai Thammavong
Khao Niew Lao Theater
Music composer
Jorge da Rocha
DoP
Markus Steiner Ender
Camera operators
Markus Steiner Ender
Lu Pulici
Recording mixer
Martin Niedermaier
Sound recordist
Josep Piris
Edited by
Markus Steiner Ender
Cornelia Schöpf
Associate producers
Patrizia Marcato
Martin Hilz
Gottfried Höfelsauer
Claudia Bellasi
Markus Steiner Ender
SYNOPSIS
Siphai Thammavong is a young storyteller from Luang Prabang, Laos. He lives with his wife, Thip, and their children on the outskirts of the city, juggling multiple jobs to support his family in one of the world's poorest countries. Between running a small roadside grocery store, taking on various odd jobs, and managing household chores, Siphai still finds time to perform in a small theatre, where he brings traditional stories to life for visiting tourists. But he knows that these ancient tales, passed down orally for hundreds of years, are now vanishing. Younger generations, immersed in the digital world, no longer seem interested in this rich storytelling tradition.
When an elderly woman-one of his most valuable sources of stories-passes away, Siphai feels a deep sense of urgency. Determined to save as many endangered tales as possible before they disappear, he sets out on a journey to find the last storytellers of Laos. Traveling deep into the country's interior, he visits remote villages inhabited by Laos' three main ethnic groups-small, isolated communities nestled in the jungle and mountains. There, he listens to the traditional stories as told by the last guardians of oral heritage, carefully recording them in his notebook, driven by the hope of preserving a fading legacy.
THE GUARDIAN OF STORIES
FEATURE FILM
Produced by: Trukitrek Films
Length: 74'00''
Language: Lao and English
Year: 2025
