1. Memory Books
In Uganda, AIDS-infected mothers have begun writing what they call Memory Books for their children. Aware of the illness, it is a way for the family to come to terms with the inevitable death that it faces. Hopelessness and desperation are confronted through the collaborative effort of remembering and recording, a process that inspires unexpected strength and even solace in the face of death.
2. Children Gone to Poland (폴란드로 간 아이들)
Tracing the footsteps of North Korean orphans who went to Poland during the Korean War, two women, one from the North and the other from the South, bond through the solidarity of wound and forge together a path toward healing.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
3. The Good Woman of Bangkok
Film maker Dennis O'Rourke documents the day to day life of Aoi, a Thai prostitute through interviews with her and her family as well as taking us through some of the tourist frequented bars and night clubs.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
4. My King
Feature documentary about Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej's merits and includes many rare footage restored in high definition.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
5. The Truth Be Told
The Truth Be Told is an epic-scale documentary that follows three and half years in the life of Supinya, a media activist who was sued by the Shin Corporation for stating that the company had benefited from the policies of the administration of Thaksin Shinawatra, whose family owned the company. The documentary is snapshot of a turbulent period in Thai politics, from the Thaksin years, the anti-Thaksin backlash that arose after Thaksin sold his share in Shin to Singapore's Temasek Holdings, and the military coup that ousted Thaksin.
It has an average vote of 6.2 on TMDB.
6. When Elephants Were Young
A young man and his young elephant street beg in gritty Bangkok amid the controversial elephant business that threatens their survival, until the opportunity comes to release the elephant to the wild.
It has an average vote of 8.5 on TMDB.
7. Cannibals and Crampons
The explorers Bruce Parry and Mark Anstice Climb the remote and little known mountain Puncak Mandala in the Indonesian part of New Guinea. They have to cross remote jungles, climb icy cliffs and navigate the curiosity and fear of indigenous peoples in order to get to the top.
It has an average vote of 8 on TMDB.
8. Weltreise mit Buddha (Weltreise mit Buddha)
The Odd Monk is a personal journey through modern day Buddhism. German first time Filmmaker Jesco Puluj travels around the world, meeting a variety of monks and nuns to discover the essence of Buddhism.
It has an average vote of 5 on TMDB.
9. City of Children
This final John Nesbitt's Passing Parade series short looks at a community, Mooseheart, in Illinois that orphaned children call home.
It has an average vote of 5.5 on TMDB.
10. The Enchanted Forest of the Pygmy Hippopotamus
One of the most mysterious animals to inhabit the jungle is the pygmy hippopotamus - up to 300 kg in weight, just 2 meters long, and 80 cm tall, and a true loner. Since its discovery in 1844, generations of researchers have attempted to study it in the wild - but in vain. Although it proved possible to catch a few specimens for zoos, no one ever got to see them before they were already inside the trap. They eluded the gaze of the researchers like phantoms under the protection of the enchanted forest. These are the first ever pictures of pygmy hippopotami in their natural surroundings - the rain forest of West Africa. Set amid stories about their habitat, the film allows a first impression of this timid creature's life. While their ten-times heavier relatives are loud and gregarious and live in open stretches of water, the pygmy hippopotamus moves furtively through the thick undergrowth.
It has an average vote of 4 on TMDB.
11. Abortion: Stories from North and South
Women have always sought ways to terminate unwanted pregnancies, despite powerful patriarchal structures and systems working against them. This film provides a historical overview of how church, state and the medical establishment have determined policies concerning abortion. From this cross-cultural survey--filmed in Ireland, Japan, Thailand, Peru, Colombia, and Canada--emerges one reality: only a small percentage of the world's women has access to safe, legal operations.
12. Paradoxocracy (ประชาธิป'ไทย)
Paradoxocracy, co-directed with Pen-ek's longtime friend and producer, Pasakorn Pramoolwong, begins with the 1932 Siamese Revolution - which transformed Thailand from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional one - and works its way to the present day, chronicling the country's major political revolutions, movements and countless coups along the way. Using a combination of archival footage, voice-overs and interviews with 15 unnamed academics, activists and political leaders, the film presents the directors' personal journey to come to an understanding of how their country arrived at its current state of near-constant political division and dysfunction.
It has an average vote of 4.6 on TMDB.
13. FARANG: The Story of Chef Andy Ricker of Pok Pok Thai Empire
Farang, the Thai word for foreigner, is the story of chef Andy Ricker and how he spun a 25-year obsession with Northern Thailand into the hit success that is his Pok Pok restaurant empire.
It has an average vote of 7 on TMDB.
14. Contrasts of Peru (Contrasts of Peru)
Peru is a country of many contrasts. From the cold waters of the Coast over the 6000 m high Andes to the unique biodiversity of the Amazon Jungle. Peru isn't only Machu Picchu. It's much more.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
15. Koh kood
A young lad solo traveling to the end of Thailand hidden Gem Island known as Koh Kood. A fiery of storms and uncontrollable waves appear while departing off this island after a couple of nights of unimaginable paradise, beautiful landscapes, sceneries and breathtaking adventures.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
16. The Songs of Rice (เพลงของข้าว)
In Thailand, a hymn to rice need not always be sung. A dance, or spectacular homemade fireworks can say the same thing. As can a film, as is convincingly demonstrated by this lyrical, beautifully filmed homage to this essential staple food.
It has an average vote of 5.25 on TMDB.
17. VENUM
A reality movie on VENUM Muaythai Training Camp center in Thailand where the best fighters are coached and trained to compete in tournaments and competition.
It has an average vote of 10 on TMDB.
18. Kliou the Tiger
Bhat, a member of the Moi tribe in Indo-China, loves Dhi, but her father Khan does not believe Bhat is worthy of his daughter, as he lacks hunting and warrior prowess. The tiger, Kliou, has been attacking Moi villages, taking people and livestock. During a hunt, Khan is severely mauled by the claws of Kliou. Witch doctors claim that Khan can only be saved by Kliou experiencing a similar bloodletting.
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.
19. Yai Nin (ยายนิล)
Ninlawan Pinyo is the matriarch of a Thai American family, who hustled for her fortune by founding a naem pork sausage factory in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
20. Kinshasa, générations Matuidi (Kinshasa, générations Matuidi)
(Kinshasa, générations Matuidi)
It has an average vote of 6 on TMDB.