After watching Come and See burst into the public consciousness following its release on Netflix, the director and producers of another compelling Thai documentary are hoping to get their film released on the streaming platform, too. 

 

To do that, they’re appealing to the public for support.

 

Director Wattanapume Laisuwanchai and the folks behind production studio Eyedropper Fill are asking the public to go to this website and request that their film, School Town King, be added to the Netflix roster.

 

School Town King, which took three years to create, follows young Klong Toey rappers Thanayuth “Book” Na Ayutthaya, aka Eleven Finger, and Nontawat “Non” Toma, aka Crazy Kids, as they work to break into the music scene and out of poverty. Interspersed with studio shots and rap performances, the film also lays bare the reality of life in Bangkok’s most notorious slums.

 

Like Come and See, the documentary premiered at the Busan International Film Festival. It then enjoyed a limited release in theaters last December and was briefly available for on-demand viewing on Vimeo, with a portion of the proceeds donated to the Duang Prateep Foundation.

 

But Wattanapume and company feel its impact can go further.

 

In a Facebook post last week, the admin of the School Town King page called on followers for support “to help the film’s message reach an audience that may not have had the opportunity to watch it in theaters,” they wrote. “Through the real-life story of Book and Non, the movie might expand your perspective and lead to social change.”

 

The two rappers share the same hope.

 

Throughout the film, the two talk about the high bar they must clear just to get out of the slums, as well as some of the deeper issues plaguing Thailand, from deepening inequality to widespread injustices. But they add that they want their music to help erase negative perceptions about Klong Toey and someday change society for the better. 

 

Sometimes, their lyrics are imbued with anger, which would seem to undermine their message of hope. In a song called “Slum Klong Toey,” which has notched over four million views on YouTube, the teenaged Crazy Kids expresses outrage over the discrimination he and other members of Klong Toey community receive. Bars like “I’m a kid from slum / the one you looked down on like scum” leave little room for interpretation.
 

Yet both rappers show a maturity beyond their years. Even before starring in the documentary, Eleven Finger gathered more than 48 local rappers to perform at This is Klong Toey Compton, a rap battle meant to inspire other kids his age who want to follow the same path.