Country boy Pan has two things going for him: Sadao, the woman he loves, and a voice made for luk thung, Thailand’s heartbreak-heavy country music. Then the army takes him, a singing contest gets ideas into his head, and Bangkok opens its mouth wide. Pan deserts for a shot at stardom, only to fall into the hands of a crooked manager. From there, he drifts through cane fields, petty crime, prison, and every wrong turn fame and bad luck can put you through. Back home, pregnant Sadao waits beside the transistor radio he gave her on their wedding day. Selected for Cannes Directors’ Fortnight in 2002, Mon-rak Transistor remains a Thai New Wave classic with a broken heart and a tune it cannot shake.