Men Are Human, Women Are Buffalo

"Joanne Hershfield's Men are Human, Women are Buffalo uses a modern variant of shadow puppets (nang talung) and interviews in a powerful film about gender relations in modern Thailand. Women from a range of social origins explain their struggles against violence, discrimination and oppression.

Women in Thailand have long been portrayed as having considerably more freedom than their sisters in other East and Southeast Asian societies. This film however, presents a different picture, lifting a veil from the silence that has long surrounded domestic violence in Thailand.

Men are Human, Women are Buffalo is a film that will challenge students and enliven their discussions regarding the gender relations in Thailand. It takes on difficult issues. It provides some answers, but allows considerable space for classroom discussion."
–Kevin Hewison
Professor, Department of Asian Studies
Director, Carolina Asia Center
University of North Carolina

MORE ABOUT THE FILM

A country that is promoted to western tourists as a fairytale land of beautiful beaches, pristine countryside, cheap vacations, and a thriving sex trade industry, Thailand is also one of the developing countries with the highest incidence of violence against women. Approximately 44 percent of women in Thailand have indicated that they have suffered sexual, physical, and emotional abuse by a partner or a stranger.

While these five stories are culturally specific, their commonality with the experiences of other women will provoke productive discussions about incidence of violence against women around the world.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Additional interviews with directors of the Association for the Promotion of the Status of Women (APSW) in Bangkok.

Appropriate for:
High School•College/University

29 minutes • DVD
29 minutes • VHS

PURCHASE OR RENT

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29 min./ DVD

Institutions (Colleges/Universities)

Community Groups/ Public Libraries/ High Schools

Rental

29 min./ VHS

Institutions (Colleges/Universities)