Jessada
Chan-

 

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The director recalls the story his grandmother told him during his youth, a tale of a novice monk in the village who mysteriously vanished after being devoured by a bodiless Buddha’s head statue. The story left a mark on the director's memory. After numerous years, the director decides to revisit his hometown, Salok Bat, in the Kamphaeng Phet province, and create a documentary about the inexplicable disappearance of the novice.

 

The investigative journey starts with interviews of Salok Bat’s villagers, revealing various perspectives about the tale. Each villager tells the story in different directions. However, the only common thing is that everyone said that the novice's fate remains unknown, and after that day, no one searches for the novice anymore.

 

As the director delves deeper into the investigation, the more he discovers. The director tardily ventures into the abandoned chamber where the novice is believed to live. Documenting utensils within the chamber, the director finds the clues that immerse him in the lore of the vanished monk.

 

The documentary explores other aspects of the Salok Bat villagers' lives and shifts to a similar incident: the disappearance of people in the village. Amidst the silence and isolation of Salok Bat, a story of departure unfolds, as individuals leave their hometown for Bangkok city in search of opportunities. The director follows the stories of Aunt Nad, a laborer on a sky-piecing tower’s construction site, and a young woman working as an entertainer for tourists' enjoyment at a city bar.

 

The tale of a missing novice heard from my grandmother and the tragic migration of Salok Bat's people sound very similar and almost inseparable. The journey of the documentation has come to an end. The fact about the missing novice is still unknown. Still, the stories of the disappearance of people in the village seeking a better life continue, and the resonance of storytelling turns into the sound of crickets chirping echo in the capital city endlessly.