Satu – Year of the Rabbit
Friendship prevails in this dazzling but shaky feature debut from Joshua Trigg.
Image courtesy of Raindance Film Festival
If you didn’t tell me that Satu - Year of the Rabbit was shot during 2020’s global lockdown, the thought would never have crossed my mind. When we think of lockdown passion projects, we tend to think of self-contained ideas that can be executed from within the walls of a bedroom. This could not be further from that. Shot in the lush mountains of Northern Laos, there is not a hint of government mandated claustrophobia to be seen.
Satu is essentially a road trip film, centred on the cross-country search for the eponymous character’s long-missing mother. The crux of the story is the companionship that blossoms between Satu (Itthiphone Sonepho) and a seventeen-year-old photojournalist girl named Bo (Vanthiva Saysana), who accompanies Satu on his journey. Writer-director Joshua Trigg employs non-actors in these two lead roles, lending a certain authenticity to their performances. Their dynamic is sweet, but occasionally the film insists a bit too strongly that what we’re watching is endearing – I found the warm moments between the pair more effective when presented without overly sentimental music.
Speaking of the music, it presents a frequent and continuous problem – some of the ambient tracks work perfectly with the images shown, but many feel out of place, especially when guitar is the most prominent instrument. In short, the score is quite hit or miss. The visual aspect, in contrast, is all ‘hit’. The Lao landscapes are beautifully captured by cinematographer James Chegwyn, shooting on 16mm. The 16mm decision – a sticking point for Trigg – presented an array of technical problems, but proves worthwhile when you see the final product.
For the most part, the narrative remains simple, allowing us time to hang out with the protagonists as they bond. The film is at its strongest when this is the case. With a more finely tuned script, this simple story would be all we need. Instead, Trigg inserts unnecessary moments of drama such as when the main pair must escape from capture. I can’t help but feel these moments were born from a lack of ideas, and that Trigg is stretching to reach a feature-length runtime.
As a debut feature, Satu – Year of the Rabbit is an impressive effort, boasting prodigiously dazzling visuals and a pair of charming (non)actors. But there’s little more on offer here, and it’s hard to justify the runtime with these things alone. One thing is for sure, though: I’d like to see what Joshua Trigg does next.
JONAS BUTLER
Cast: Itthiphone Sonepho, Vanthiva Saysana, Athit Sylavong, Sonedala Sihavong, Bau Vun.
Dir Joshua Trigg, Pro Mimm Chainontee, James Chegwyn, Emanuele Costantini, Lee Phongsavanh, Rory Rooney and Suthida Sihasavetra, Ex Pro Joshua Trigg, Screenplay Joshua Trigg, Ph James Chegwyn, Ed Joshua Trigg, Music Joshua Szweda, Costumes Pavina Vilaphan, Sound Emanuele Costantini.
Jawbreaker Films/Geronimo Boy Film/Lao New Wave Cinema Productions/Criss Cross Content.
92 mins. Laos/UK. 2024. UK Rel: 22 June 2024 (Raindance Film Festival). No Cert.
