Romantic stories rarely concern themselves with environmental stewardship, food systems or humanity's relationship with nature.
Yet those themes sit at the heart of Love In Seasons, a new Thai film that uses a story of love and personal growth to explore sustainability, self-reliance and the origins of the food people consume every day. Through the journey of its two central characters, the film invites audiences to reflect on the connections between people, nature and the choices that shape both. The film is currently showing in cinemas.
Directed by Yeowalak Mekkulviroj and written by supervising producer Puanpetch Supavanich, Love In Seasons uses a romantic-comedy framework to explore sustainability, food systems and humanity's relationship with nature. Created as part of the "Magic Seeds: The Recipe Of Love" initiative, the movie emerged from a broader effort to promote knowledge about sustainable food production and living in harmony with nature.
Instead, the film's producer turned to storytelling.
"We believe in the power of storytelling," said Puanpetch. "Knowledge and information are already embedded in everyday life. If we, as media creators, can help people understand and empathise with one another, that understanding can lead to support, encouragement and ultimately behavioural change."
Puanpetch told Life during an exclusive interview that she wanted audiences to connect emotionally with issues presented in the film rather than simply absorb information. By allowing viewers to experience the emotions, struggles and perspectives of others, she believed stories could communicate ideas in a more meaningful and lasting way.
"We chose to bring in the human dimension or what we call human touch," she explained. "Film is a medium that brings together many forms of art. Art nurtures the human spirit and helps connect emotions to messages we want to communicate."
That philosophy shaped the entire narrative of Love In Seasons. While the film follows the relationship between two central characters, Im-em and Klua, their romance serves a larger symbolic purpose.
According to Puanpetch, the connection between love and nature lies in the idea of balance.
"The connection between love and nature is about giving and receiving," she pointed out. "In any relationship, if one person only gives or only receives, we can predict how that relationship will end."
She argued that the same principle applies to humanity's relationship with the natural world. People continually receive benefits from nature in the form of food, water and countless other resources, yet often fail to consider what they give back in return.
"Humans are always receiving from nature," she said. "But we lack awareness that when we receive, we should also give something back. If we give back even a little, nature can return abundance to us endlessly."
For the producer, this imbalance has become one of the defining challenges of modern life. The relationship between Im-em and Klua was therefore designed to mirror humanity's increasingly strained relationship with nature.
The film also places considerable emphasis on the idea of living according to nature's rhythms. Puanpetch believes modern society has become increasingly disconnected from seasonal cycles and ecological realities, particularly in urban environments.
"We are so focused on satisfying our own needs that we forget we are part of nature," she said. "We see ourselves and nature as separate things."
That separation, she argued, has profound consequences. Environmental degradation is often viewed as somebody else's problem rather than something directly connected to everyday life. Polluted rivers, damaged ecosystems and disappearing natural resources can seem distant, even though they ultimately affect drinking water, food production and public health.
"The loss of our relationship with nature has reached a critical point," she said. "The problem is that many of us do not even realise what we are losing. We still believe we can overcome nature."
The ideas explored in Love In Seasons were informed by collaboration with three organisations -- Bangpakong River of Life, the Thai Sea Salt Farmers Federation and Sampran Model. Each brought different experiences and perspectives that ultimately helped shape the screenplay.
Puanpetch said Bangpakong River of Life inspired her through its grassroots approach to environmental action, bringing together people from different professions who voluntarily work to protect and restore the river ecosystem. "They come together naturally because they share the same concern for the river," she said.
The Thai Sea Salt Farmers Federation offered another source of inspiration. Through discussions with sea salt farmers, Puanpetch gained a deeper understanding of the challenges facing a traditional industry that remains closely tied to local ecosystems.
She said many of those challenges remain largely invisible to the public. While the film only touches on some of them, she hoped it would encourage greater awareness of the importance of preserving Thailand's sea salt farms and the ecological systems that depend on them.
"If this film can be the first step in helping people realise that sea salt farms cannot simply disappear, we would be very happy," she said.
The third partner, Sampran Model, demonstrated how producers, markets and consumers can work together to create more sustainable food systems. "We want to encourage producers of safe food not to lose their way and to continue along this path," she said.
Representatives from all three organisations contributed information, reviewed the script and helped ensure the film accurately reflected real-world experiences. Despite dealing with serious issues, Puanpetch said she was determined not to make the film feel like a lecture. Instead, she relied on emotional engagement.
"We create opportunities for audiences to experience the emotions, feelings and circumstances of the characters," she explained.
In the film, those experiences centre on individuals involved in organic agriculture whose values and way of life are challenged by personal difficulties. By focusing on relatable human experiences rather than abstract concepts, Puanpetch hoped audiences would connect with the ideas naturally.
Even the title carries meaning that extends beyond romance. "Love in the title does not refer only to a man or a woman," she explained. "It also refers to nature or the great giver that we love in every season."
She noted that the word season contains multiple layers of meaning. Beyond the changing seasons of the year, it can also refer to timing, cycles and even the act of seasoning food using the natural qualities of ingredients. Ultimately, Puanpetch said that she hoped audiences would leave the cinema thinking more carefully about the origins of their food.
"Hopefully people will think about where their food comes from and how it is produced. As consumers, we should consider whether we want to support those systems."
Not everyone can grow their own food, she acknowledged, but consumers still possess significant influence through the choices they make every day. For all its environmental themes, Love In Seasons remains a romantic comedy that uses romance and humour to explore larger questions about how people live and what they value.
When asked what she hoped viewers would take away most from the film, her answer was simple.
"The awareness of the value of nature and food is what matters most," she said. "But I hope people can enjoy the story at the same time."
