Rural Teachers

Rural Teachers is based on the true experience fof a young teacher in the Thai countryside. The idealistic protagonist, Piya, arrives in a small village to teach children who live in terrible poverty and ignorance. Undaunted, the optimistic Piya devotes himself fully to the education of his pupils - teaching them how to grow their own vegetables, to observe nature and to comprehend the joy of learning.
　　However, Piya's life in the village is not without mishaps and, when he discovers an illegal racket, he sets out to find the criminals. Piya gradually sees that his role and duty in society is "to become like a lifeboat, not just for the children, but for all those who are drowning".
　　Rural Teachers is Surasri Phatum's first film and an unexpected success which became Thailand's top box-office grosser in 1978. For the production of this film, Phatum returned to his native village and, to sustain the authenticity and fidelity of the narrative, the director chose village children to play the parts of Piya's pupils. Phatum has also paid particular care to the soundtrack of the film which is underscored by traditional Thai music.
　　Surasri Phatum, who worked as a dubbing artist for foreign features, failed twice in his attempts to be elected to the Thai Parliament. He turned to the cinema when he realised the power of the medium which could reach and communicate to large and varied numbers of the population. (Nancy Israel)