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ninedragonsshijin
Reviews
In a Small World (2012)
Funny, sad, and profound
Fascinating indie film produced in Thailand, India, Japan, and Austria. Featuring several international visitors and a young Thai single mother as protagonists, the main action of the story occurs in Pattaya, Thailand's most famous (or infamous) red-light resort city. The film humanizes the characters and their respective backgrounds/cultures without overtly moralizing on the choices that they make, a refreshing change from many mainstream American films.
Despite most likely being filmed on a small budget, the picture also manages to be visually sumptuous. Its interplay of spiritual imagery (mainly Hindu and Buddhist) with the decadence and squalor of mundane settings is also fascinating, reminiscent of Ron Fricke's "Samsara" and similar works.