His river taxi connects villages and market towns in one of the most beautiful, but also in one of the most remote regions of South East Asia: Chanthi, 49 years old, is a captain on the river Nam Ou in Northern Laos.

Wild and hardly touched by modern times, the Nam Ou flows through a mountainous landscape. After 420 kilometres, close to the former royal capital Luang Prabang, the Nam Ou flows into the mighty Mekong.
Razor-sharp rocks, rapids, shoals, captain Chanthi knows them all. The Nam Ou is dangerous, but his passengers trust him. His reputation as a captain is excellent. But still he is losing more and more of his business. Modern speed boats are getting popular. And since a new road was built even busses are taking away passengers on one stretch of the river.

Socialist Laos, a secluded country for a long time, is opening up to a market economy and modernization.
Captain Chanthi has to struggle hard. So he ships his boat even during rain season, when the river rages stronger than ever. But at this time of the year he finds plenty of passengers. Many people travel to Luang Prabang for the region’s most important event: the annual boat racing festival.

The film joins Chanthi on a three day boat ride to Luang Prabang during the time of the boat racing festival. The film portrays the captain and also we get to know some of his passengers: a thoughtful mountain farmer, a young woman clearing the djungle from unexploded bombs of the Vietnam war and the strong men of a small village, who want to win the boat races.

a film by Rolf Lambert and Bernd Girrbach
Camera: Elke Werry, Cutter: Mathews Anthony,
Editor: Ulrike Becker
Music: HD800Achtspur, Eichinger & Neuert
Production: Along Mekong Productions for SWR and ARTE
© 2006
Digital Betacam 16:9 Stereo
43’30 German and French