A new feature film examining the buried trauma of America’s “Secret War” in Laos is seeking co-producers and sales agents at the Tokyo Gap-Financing Market, with production slated for 2026.
“Rhizome,” directed by Jakrawal Nilthamrong (Rotterdam winner “Vanishing Point,” Venice selection “Anatomy of Time”) and produced by Chatchai Chaiyon (“Manta Ray”), follows Na, a Lao-American woman who returns to her homeland in 1994 to join a bomb disposal team clearing unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War era. As she falls in love with Bua, a local team leader, Na confronts the violent legacy that continues to shape the scarred landscape.
The film opens in 1974 as civil war refugees flee toward the Thai border. When a young girl witnesses a traumatic incident involving her father and an American helicopter crash, the memory haunts her into adulthood. Twenty years later, now working alongside Bua to clear the land of bombs, Na’s mission collides with outsiders – David, an American searching for missing soldiers, and Big-D, a troubled local. A fatal explosion forces Na to reckon with fragmented memories and her father’s wartime past.
For Nilthamrong, the title carries symbolic weight. “‘Rhizome’ refers to a subterranean root system – nonlinear, interconnected, and hidden. It symbolizes both trauma and survival, much like the buried legacies of war and the invisible networks of memory, pain, and resilience that bind Laos, its people, and my character’s journey toward wholeness,” the director says.
The film is rooted in the history of the U.S. “Secret War” in Laos between 1964 and 1973. “It addresses how we might build a future from within the ruins,” Nilthamrong explains. “How can we reinhabit spaces shaped by violence once they have become the very ground of our existence? The work seeks to resonate with the urgency of forgotten histories – reminding us that Laos remains the most bombed country in the world, yet its people continue to live, rebuild, and find life growing again from the most wounded soil.”
The production has faced unique challenges given its sensitive subject matter. “Since the film engages with history and the real bomb disposal units that still operate today, the research and writing process for accuracy has been particularly challenging,” Nilthamrong says. “Gaining permission to access locations and conduct filming in Laos required a foundation of trust.”
The director spent significant time in the field to ensure authenticity. “I wanted to tell the story of Laos from an insider’s perspective, which led me to spend significant time in the field, revisiting locations and refining the screenplay,” he says. “Our intention is not to reopen the past in search of blame, but to maintain a delicate balance between historical truth and sensitivity.”
Producer Chaiyon acknowledges the project’s commercial challenges while expressing confidence in its potential. “Although the project’s subject matter and the director’s vision are both compelling, development and financing remain challenging,” he says. “As a producer, I strive to bridge arthouse and commercial cinema to reach a wider audience. I am confident that Rhizome possesses the elements and potential to achieve that goal.”
The team is looking to close the remaining financing gap at the market. “We are looking for co-producers and sales agents to join the project,” Chaiyon says. “Our goal is to close the remaining financing gap and be ready for production in 2026.”
AloJapan.com