France 1918: With the war entering its last, critical chapter, a company of Thai drivers is late to the scene. Commanded by the prudish Captain Sumet and his hard-pressed deputy, Chai, their missions see them thrown into the chaos of the Meuse-Argonne front, delivering shells to the artillery batteries and Grand Cru vintages to the high-command, medicine to beleaguered platoons before their trucks are stolen by an American tank Corps. 2461 describes the clash of empires and social and historical change, but it is also a personal story of the lives of young Siamese soldiers, thousands of miles from home, thrown into the world’s most brutal catastrophe, battling language, prejudice and intolerance as much as shells, bayonets and machine guns. Chai, wounded in Germany, goes back to Bangkok more sanguine and wise, but he also leaves behind deep friendships and love.

Highly revered in Thai culture, a true white elephant is believed to be essential to the wellbeing and prosperity of the Kingdom and is a symbol of great power. A traditional illustration of a white Siamese elephant that finds himself helplessly stranded, deeply sunken in a pile of artillery shells, is a scene that exudes drama but also the humor that characterizes the Thai way of dealing with difficult situations. Vermillion, the most important color in Thai art, paired with ivory, delivers a vintage graphic style reminiscent of WWII-era posters.