Chang

Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness (1927) is a documentary film about a poor farmer in Issan (Thailand) and his daily struggle for survival in the jungle. The two directors of Chang, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack, had previously worked together on Grass (1925) and later collaborated on the blockbuster film King Kong (1933). In the directors' own words, Chang is a "melodrama with man, the jungle, and wild animals as its cast." Kru, the farmer depicted in the film, battles leopards, tigers, and even a herd of elephants, all of which pose a constant threat to his livelihood. As filmmakers, Cooper and Schoedsack attempted to capture real life with their cameras, though they often re-staged events that had not been captured...