First-ever Khantau Language Visual Documentation

Memories of Bamboo Craftsmanship

How did we film it

The shooting of the documentary unfolded between February 2nd and 15th, 2025 — two brisk weeks that still glow in memory like the first light over the hills. The old man and the little girl had both volunteered, their eyes gleaming with the thrill of stepping before a camera for the first time. Each morning, before dawn had fully shaken off the mist, we rode into the village, stopping by the secretary’s porch for steaming cups of Myanmar milk tea — sweet, earthy, and strong enough to wake the dust itself. Then came the rhythm of work: unpacking tripods, checking lenses, chasing the sun.

To capture the weekly market, we rose at five and hitchhiked from the county seat, our gear piled high on the back of a stranger’s truck as the world turned pale and blue around us. The market was chaos and melody — the hum of barter, the clink of scales, the laughter of children chasing hens through the dust.

Those days felt suspended from ordinary time. Looking back, I know they were among the most remarkable moments of my high school years — when work and wonder finally spoke the same language.

content preparation

We reviewed all the Khantau myths, legends, and folktales, and eventually chose one of the most symbolic — the Khantau bamboo weaving technique. I then sat down with the village secretary for about an hour to discuss it, and he agreed to include it in the documentary.

TRANSCRIPTION--the subtitles

This was the first time the Khantau language had ever been transcribed in an online visual work using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). We reviewed numerous precedents of similar academic practices, consulted several experts, and finalized the transcription draft within two months.

voice recording

We encountered many challenges similar to those we faced during the government’s voice collection work. At times, the grandfather had trouble understanding the village chief’s instructions, and the little girl appeared uneasy in front of the camera. We therefore spent considerable time addressing these issues to ensure the filming went smoothly.

Resource Sharing

Transcript of Dialogue

Khantau Script:

mi31: e55 tʂhin31, xai55 pi51 i35?

a31 tʂhin55: xai55 la55? xai55 o31 kji35, n̩31 xɯp31 ʂɯ31 xʐa31 o51, a31 ʂɯ31 pi55 nuŋ35 tɛ31 xo55 na31 .

mi31: pi31 fɯt55 sɿ31 i35?

a31 tʂhin55: sa55 lau55 u35 xi55 la31? sa55 lau55 ɔ55 iau31 ʂa31 ʨi55 ta31.

mi31: ɯn51!

a31 tʂhin55: xɛ35 i55 ŋo31 tɔ31 ɔ51 ʐo51 tʂhɯ31 kɤn31, xaʔ31 kui55 i31 ʐɔi51 ta51 tie51˩, khɤŋ35 pha51, kui55 xɔ31 ku31 xa51 tsɤ55 kui51 ta31 miau35, ɛ51 lɤ55 pi35 khøʔ35 kɔ31 ku55 ʐɔ51 tshau35 a31 piu55 pɯŋ51 phiu55 po31 xa31 tse51 mun35 e51, e31 xa31 tɯ51 le55 ji31 ʨhiaŋ51 ka55 ʨi55 khɤ31 iu35 tsau31 tsa31 miaŋ35, khɤŋ35 pha55 xai31 a31, ɛ55, pi31 tsɤ55 pi31 mu31 xa31 tsɤ31 khɤŋ35 pha55 i31 xɤ55 tsɤ31, i55 xɛ55 ta35 kɤ31 mu31 thoŋ35 ta55 min35 ŋ̥u55, than55 n̩55 xa31 ʐoŋ51 ʐo55 l̥ap35 pi31 l̥ap55 nɤn31 kai31 than35 ta31 miaŋ51 ɛ35, ɛ55, thɔ35 lɤn31 i31 kɤ31 un51 xuʔ35 uʔ31 tɤ31 mo55 phan55 tʂaŋ31 a31, mo55 phan55 tʂaŋ31 a31 ɛ55 na31 te31 na31 than31 tʂɔ55 o31 uŋ31, uŋ35 i31 jɯm55 ʂɤ31 mɤ31 lian31 ui51 liam55 phʐɯp55 ʂɤ35 ui31 lian31 ma51 ʨɔi51 tsɤm31 mɤ55 xai35, xa55, ko31 tʂom31 ŋoʔ31 tuʔ55 ua51 fu55 tʂan31 mi35 om31, a31 mim55 ku31 tɤ31 mim31 ja55 ai35 ta31 ʨɔi51 ta51 mo35 i31 ʨɔi55 ʨiɛ51,

mi31: a31 fu35, na51 a31 su55 su55 un31 ʐu35 , pi31 xɔʔ55 ʨi31 su35 tsu55 nɤn51 po35 ji31?

a31 tʂhin55: a55 fu 31, ŋun35 jiɛ55 mu55 tsɤ55 ŋa55 ɛ55 se31 tsho35 ko31, n̥ai55 ua31 ko55 a31 kan55 nai55 xa35 pa31 n̩31 la31 pa31, mʐɯ55 l̥ɤ51 pi55 a55 tu55 ua51 toŋ55 pa35 l̥ɤ51 pi31 than55 pɯ31, xɛ35 ko55 ji31 pɤ31 khɤn55 pha55 pɤ31 xɔ35 lai31 n̩31 ŋap31 a51 ko55 a31 kaŋ55 ti55 a31, a55 phu51 a55 ŋɛ55 ui31 li35 mʐɿ31 ko31 ʨi51 tshɯ35,ui31 li35 mʐɿ31 ko31 kɤ55, xɤ55 tɔ51 li35 mʐɿ31 ko31 xɤ55 tɔ51, thɔ55 pi55 thɔ55 ji31 lɛ35 ma55 ŋjiau31 ji31 a35 pho31, ɛ55, xau55 ti55 tu55 lɤn51 jin35 tha55 pi31 tsa55 pi31 m̥u31 ŋʐa35 phʐɿ31 sɛ55 xɔi31 pi31 tsa55 pʐɿ31 m̥o31 mu35 man31 kho35 lo55 ŋɔi51, ŋɔi51 ŋjo51 xɔ35 kɔ51 pɔ35 xɔ35 kɔ51 tsɤ31 ti31 ŋo31 ma51 tɔ35 lɛ31 ma55 khja35 ko51 a31, xɔ55 tɔ55 khiu31 khjaʔ55 o55 ʐɤ55 xun35 xom55 a31 mo55 fu35 tiɛ55 ʂɿ31 pim51 pa31 ʨiɛ51, ʂua35 a51 ŋai35 tshau35 ua31 miau35 xuŋ35 tɤ31 kjo31 po31 ŋa35 ko31, xo31 po31 pi31 ka55 pu31 lɤm31 po31 n̩55 ŋai35 ji31 ŋo55 tɔ55 mɔ51 phan35 tʂaŋ31 ŋai35 ʨhiɛ55 ŋɔk51 ʨo35 tɤ31, lɔ55 tse31 ko55 mu31, than31 tʂɔ51, tʂhɤŋ55 pha51, tuŋ55 pi31 ko31 khøʔ55 pi31 ko31 xɛʔ31 kaʔ55 poʔ55 fuʔ35 iaŋ51 tɤŋ35 pɛ31 ko31 ai35 thau31 po31 ku31 kje35 ʐaŋ51 tɤŋ35, phɯ35 kɤ31 phɯ35 pɔ51 ŋjan51 pi31 lu35 n̩31 kɯu51 ka51, pi31 tsɤ55 pi35 mu31 xu35 lɔʔ31 pɔ55 tse31 tɛ31 pɔ31 ŋo55 tu31 n̥i55 ka31 ŋ̥o31 thuŋ35 thim35 su55 a31 tuŋ35 xa55 pa55 n̩31 la31 pa31 a35 un31 xo55 tɔ55 ŋo35 ja31 pa31 køʔ55 xo55 lo55 lɛ31 ko55 khun55 ŋo51 ji31 lɛ35 miɛ35 sɿ31 ɛ31, xo31 jiʔ31 ʨhap31 ʨhiaŋ55 la31, ʨhiaŋ55 ɛ55 pa31 n̩31 mo55 u31 ɤ31 mɔʔ55 pɔʔ55 ku55 la31 ji31 khji51 tshu55 phɤ31, ji31 khji51 tshu55 phʐɿ31 ʐɿ55 phʐɿ31 ʐɿ55 si35 kɤ55 ni51 kɤ31 si35 kɤ55 ni51 kɤ31。

Chinese and English Translation:

爺爺，這是什麼？
Grandpa, what’s this?

這是竹子，沒破開的叫竹子，破開了叫竹篾。
This is bamboo. When it’s whole, it’s just bamboo; when you split it, we call it bamboo strips.

用來做什麼？
So, what’s it for?

想知道嗎？那我告訴你。
Wanna know? Lemme fill you in.

嗯！
Sure!

我們用它編籮、小筐。筐用來屯穀子，小籮筐可以放辣椒等小物品，掛牆上。墊子用來曬東西，也能賣錢。以前，我們就這樣砍竹子，再編織竹器討生活。
We use it to whip up baskets and small bins. The baskets store grain, and the little ones hold stuff like chili peppers for hanging on the wall. The mats are for drying things in the sun—and you can even sell ’em. Back in the day, we made a living by chopping bamboo and hustling these crafts.

那現在為什麼用竹器的人少了？
Then why are fewer folks into bamboo gear now?

現在大家只做賺錢的，像大籮筐、小籮筐、墊子、背簍這些複雜的活沒人願意做了。家裡沒什麼可做的，大家都去外面賺錢了。開天闢地以來就祖祖輩輩相傳的編織技藝，現在沒人碰了。就像我們的語言一樣，恐怕也要慢慢消失了吧。
Nowadays, everyone’s all about chasing cash. No one’s keen on the tougher jobs like making baskets, mats, or panniers. With nothing much left to do at home, everybody’s off earning money. The weaving techniques our ancestors have kept alive for so long? No one’s doing it now. Just like our language, it’s probably gonna fade away slowly.