The Non Violence International Film Festival 2008

Man is Human, Woman is Buffalo combines interviews and shadow puppetry to tell five moving stories about domestic violence in Thailand. A country that is promoted to western tourists as a fairytale land of beautiful beaches, pristine countryside, cheap vacations, and a thriving sex trade industry, Thailand is also one of the developing countries with the highest incidence of violence against women. According to Prof. Maytinee Bhongsvej, the Executive Director of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) in Bangkok, approximately 44 percent of women in Thailand have indicated that they had suffered sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by a partner or a stranger. Many people in Thailand still think that the wife and the children are the assets of the husband. As one woman in the film puts it,'since the 14th century, we have had a saying that man are human, women are buffalo. Buffalo meaning you can own them. 'In this documentary, five women share their personal and compelling stories of abuse. One woman is the head nurse at a large hospital in Bangkok. Another is a successful business woman who owns a number of restaurants and other businesses. Three younger women recount their experiences of rape and violent relationships. Their stories are sensitively enacted through a series of puppet plays, inspired by traditional Thai puppet theater that is still performed in many parts of Thailand.