CULTURAL & SOCIAL IMPACT

ONLOOKERS operates in a poetic register, and teases out complex and paradoxical questions of cross-cultural travel. The film sparks important conversations and self-reflection around the practice and impact of global tourism.The topics of why and how we travel are important in an increasingly global world. How does one travel to a foreign country with cultural sensitivity and respect for local communities? Why do people travel thousands of miles to replicate what is familiar?

ONLOOKERS fundamentally explores how we might create more meaningful cross-cultural connections through travel. The film raises timely questions around sustainability and how over-tourism has a dangerous impact on resources and the preservation of distinct cultural traditions. My aim is to challenge viewers to become reflexive about their own touristic practices and provide a multi-faceted glimpse of daily life in contemporary Laos.