Vientiane Through the Lens of Thanavorakit Kounthawatphinyo
Laotian filmmaker and photographer Thanavorakit Kounthawatphinyo, affectionately known as Nin, has undertaken an extraordinary project, documenting his country’s capital, Vientiane. His work presents a fascinating juxtaposition of the city’s past and present through a series of compelling images.
Laotian filmmaker and photographer Thanavorakit Kounthawatphinyo (known as Nin) has documented his country’s capital Vientiane in a series of images showing the city past and present. Pictured, the That Luang Stupa.The photos show present-day buildings next to photographs taken in the mid 20th century.Patuxai is a monument in Vientiane, completed in the 1960s.Patuxai means Victory Gate. Situated in Patuxay Park, it is dedicated to the Laotians who died in the battle for independence from France.Nin also tried to create similar images of his home town of Luang Prabang. ‘I couldn’t manage to align the past photo properly due to some technical issues,’ he says.The entrance of the Royal Palace, Luang Prabang, during the funeral of Laotian King Sisavong Vong in 1959. ‘Nowadays we don’t have kings anymore, just a lot of tourists,’ says Nin.
