Salween (1994)

This is for classroom shot analysis for ASAN 491-S, in which political issues projected as border disputes can be re-projected through a variety of aesthetic arrangements. Halfway through the clip you'll note the entrance of a song sung entirely in Karen (the language of a large Burmese ethnic group) juxtaposed with a montage sequence switching between observation (optic space) and sensation (haptic space). By being 'touched' by the suffering of others, the Thai soldiers allow the imaginary 'sovereign' borders to disintegrate (see 'constructive' versus 'flexible' engagement in Thai-Burmese relations) and inhabit the position of the Karen by firing back at the Burmese helicopters .