To choose the filming location, Paul Spurrier said he drove 3,000km in total looking for a location in Isan. He found a school in Udon Thani that fit the image he had in his mind, and proceeded to audition schoolchildren and villagers for the film."We spent 10 days visiting the schools (in the area)," says the writer-director. "We gave a little presentation, showed them the camera, explained how a film was made. Then we asked who'd like to be actors. Through that process we found the two kids. The leading girl was from a school about 16km away. All the other kids came from the school where we shot. After we finished shooting, we bought new school uniforms for all the students there."