Filial Piety in Thai-Chinese Communities: A Cultural Analysis through the Film LAHN MAH

Abstract

This study investigates the cultural representations of filial piety in Thai-Chinese communities through an analysis of the 2024 film LAHN MAH. Using qualitative methods that combine film content analysis with in-depth interviews of six Chinese viewers across different age groups (10-25, 26-40, and 41+ years) with two interviewees per group, the research explores how contemporary cinema mediates between traditional values and modern realities. The findings identify three primary expressions of filial piety: ritual practices including ancestor veneration and Qingming Festival（清明节） observances, daily intergenerational care practices, and the integration of Confucian ideals with Thai Buddhist traditions. Generational differences emerged in audience interpretations, with younger viewers highlighting technological adaptations, working-age adults emphasizing culturalpreservation, and older respondents focusing on foundational Confucian principles. The research contributes to intercultural media studies by demonstrating how cinematic narratives facilitate cross-cultural dialogue while preserving ethnic identity in diaspora communities. The study advances understanding of cultural hybridity in transnational contexts through its examination of cinema as both a reflective medium and dialogic space for traditional values in contemporary society.