Capital of Mae La
A short documentary film offering a modern story of one of the longest-running refugee camps in the world and its inhabitants. An ethnographic/artistic collaboration.
This project started with personal curiosity and later was developed as a tribute to fascinating individuals of Mae La who shared with us their stories. The short film has been screened at selected cultural spaces and academic conferences in The Netherlands and Thailand.
It is a place I had never heard about
a home for over 40,000 refugees for more than 30 years
My name is Belle Promchanya. I am a Thai designer/filmmaker based in Amsterdam. In 2014, I followed my friend, Jiraporn, (an anthropologist working on her Ph.D.) to the Mae La refugee camp along the border of Thailand and Myanmar. Interestingly, the camp has been a home for over 40,000 refugees for more than 30 years. It is one of the longest-running refugee camps in the world.