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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 685

Chang

192764 minUnited States
Documentary
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
67:01
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack · Public domain

Synopsis

Kru and his family work to keep a small farm alive at the edge of the forest in northern Thailand. Crops, livestock and their home are vulnerable to the animals around them. The film follows their struggle for shelter and food, building toward an encounter with elephants that threatens the fragile boundary between the settlement and the jungle.

Cast

DirectorsMerian C. CooperErnest B. Schoedsack

Behind the scenes

The American production combines footage of local life with events arranged or restaged for the camera. It is an early documentary adventure, rather than a wholly unplanned record of the family's experience.

Reception and legacy

Chang was nominated for Unique and Artistic Production at the first Academy Awards. That category was awarded only at the inaugural ceremony.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

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