“Emerging Thailand” Premieres at MIT

What drives growth in the developing world?  What is the role of entrepreneurship in developing countries? How are local businesses connected to the national economy?

“Emerging Thailand: The Spirit of Small Enterprise” is a documentary film produced in collaboration with MIT Professor of Economics Dr. Robert Townsend and The Enterprise Initiative (University of Chicago). This 35-minute documentary film profiles several small business owners throughout Thailand, and visually illustrates the extensive and long-running survey work of Dr. Townsend and his collaborators.  Shot over the course of 14 days in Thailand and several visits to MIT, the film is a beautiful testament of the entrepreneurial spirit of Thailand, as well as the meticulous research that fuels Townsend’s understanding of the country.

A series of short visual portraits profiling a range of business owners in Thailand - from rubber farmers to silk weavers - have also been released as part of this project.  View them here.

“Emerging Thailand” will premiere on April 23rd at 5.30PM on the MIT Campus (E25-111), followed by a screening at the University of Chicago on May 16th. For more information, please visit www.emergingthailand.org.

Director - Anthony Mathile
Producer - Ben Nabors
Cinematography - Todd Banhazl
Additional Camera - Anthony Mathile
Written By – Anthony Mathile, Ben Nabors, Natalie Hoover, Jennifer Hunt
Editor – Carlos Pavan
Additional Editing – Adam Epstein, Caitlin Diaz
Music By – Saunder Jurriaans & Danny Bensi
Narration – Debbe Hirata
Graphics / Titles – Jessi Arrington & Workshop 
Animation - Peyton Skyler Harrison
Studio - {group theory}