Review of Poor Folk (2012) by Walter M — 19 Mar 2015

"Poor Folk" starts with A-fu(Zhao De-fu) and A-hong(Wang Shin-hong) completing a successful smuggling run between Myanmar and Thailand. Back in Bangkok, they make contact with a businesswoman who seeks to facilitate goods between the two countries. In the meantime, A-hong is having trouble finding his sister. He knows she left Myanmar but does not know where she has been transported to.

"Poor Folk" is a movie that explores the life that refugees from Myanmar lead in Thailand, working on the edges of society in risky and illegal jobs just to survive. At the same time, there are hints here on what made them want to lead their home country so badly in the first place.(For example, one of the characters has never heard of Leo Tolstoy which some might consider very sad.).

And increases in digital film technology allow film makers like director Midi Z. to make films in places they would not have been able to otherwise. The drawback especially with this film is that the lack of production values can be just as readily apparent, especially as it applies to this disjointed narrative.