Unspoken Souls

Logline

Lek Chailert has dedicated her entire adult life to protecting Thailand’s elephants from abuse. It’s a never-ending task, and time is running out to pass on her life’s work. She then comes across New, a 22-year-old with an unwanted inheritance of 55 elephants. He needs her as much as she needs him. "Unspoken Souls" is the journey of two people struggling to ensure the survival of the mighty elephant.

Synopsis 

SYNOPSIS: Lek’s life was forever changed when she witnessed an elephant laboring to drag an immense teak log through the rugged mountains of Northern Thailand. The anguish in the elephant’s eyes as it painstakingly pulled the log left an indelible mark on her. Since then, Lek has devoted herself to safeguarding these majestic creatures. In 2003, Lek turned her dream into reality by establishing Elephant Nature Park, Asia’s first and currently largest sanctuary for elephants. Here, handicapped, elderly, and overworked elephants find refuge and can live out their days with dignity. Over the past two decades, Lek has tirelessly advocated for better treatment and care of elephants within Thailand’s tourism industry. However, the task is unending, and time is slipping away to secure her life’s work.

Enter New, an unassuming 22-year-old whose father amassed wealth from operating an exploitative elephant entertainment camp. When New’s father passes away, he inherits a daunting responsibility: the lives of 55 elephants. Desperate to liberate these elephants from abuse, New faces seemingly insurmountable challenges. But Lek takes him under her wing.

BACKGROUND: From the 19th century, thousands of elephants were forced to work as vital hauling machines for the logging industry. When logging was banned in 1989 due to the immense decline in forestry, the elephants were newly assigned to work as giant entertainers for the tourism industry, carrying tourists on their backs and performing shows. But ever since Lek revealed the abusive training behind these acts, the lives of the elephants have been gradually changing.

Director & Script Writer - Koh Okuno
Producer / Director - Yasuhiko Okuno & Mieko Saho
Executive producer: Ken-ichi IMAMURA
Production status: Post production
Dutration: 90' and 53'
Budget: $329,400
Completion schedule: Fourth quarter of 2024

<Pitch video> https://vimeo.com/833983900
PW: SSD0607
<Trailer> https://vimeo.com/836040309
PW: elephant