Buffalo Girls is an unpretentious look into the world of muay thai (Thai boxing) in its homeland. Set in rural Thailand, director Todd Kellstein probes into the lives of two boxers, Stam Sor Konlek and Pet Chor Chanachai. Both are eight years old and female.
Intent on providing for their families, Stam and Pet diligently train and fight in Thailand’s muay thai circuit where an estimated 30,000 other children do the same. The fight is one out of poverty. For Pet, whose family falls far below the poverty line, with an injured father and Pet having had two heart surgeries, the fight is for survival. For both, it’s a way of life.
Buffalo Girls leads us through the ordinary in an extraordinary way. Rather than focus on the dynamics of the fight as many other muay thai documentaries have done, Kellstein delves into the rudimentary dynamics which are at the foundation of most, if not all muay thai careers in Thailand. As much as this is the story of two young girls, it is the story of many of Thailand’s underclass.
Players who are rarely allowed voices are present in Buffalo Girls. We hear from a bookie, a referee and the family members of both athletes. The dialogue of a fighter’s corner and the decisive critique after a loss is immediate, as is the emotional tidal wave fighters often experience. We are brought into the reality of muay thai in rural Thailand. The fact Kellstein spent two years living amongst the country’s poor is evident. This alone contributes to the integrity and honesty of the piece as it is in everything that appears, including the film’s aesthetic. Watching Buffalo Girls isn’t a pretty foray in the world of muay thai in Thailand, we aren’t allowed privileged vantage points, rather, we’re given the real deal.
If peeking into one of the many realities of Thailand, just as it is without the need to hyperbolize interests you, Buffalo Girls is a must see. The film recently opened in Los Angeles, USA and will be available for viewing until December 14. For screenings in other cities, visit the Buffalo Girls official website.
The director went to Thailand to make a documentary about something that wasn’t true, he then makes another that is very misleading. Doing things like adding punching sounds to make it seem more violent and filming fighting in bars, which gives the added sleaze that audiences love.
Todd used to do music and corporate videos, so I suppose he’s used to hyping things up.