This short video, “Mae Sa,” documents the experiences of KNOTS Transdisciplinary Research and Teaching partners who visited the village of Ban Mae Sa (บ้านแม่ซา) in Mae Chaem district of Chiang Mai, Thailand in late July 2018.
The tranquil images of quiet and peaceful country life often mask the reality of local Mae Sa people’s struggle to maintain sustainable livelihoods, obtain legal status for their community, land and homes, preserve their Karen language and culture, their place within rapidly transforming Thailand, and find a way to escape the trap of corn cash-cropping, debt, and environmental degradation.
At the same time, this short video hopes to show how the KNOTS group saw and felt the dignity, resilience, and gentle strength of the people of Mae Sa as they confront all of the aforementioned challenges.