A window on Asean

Fresh launching of its Asean Culture Centre in Bangkok earlier this month, the Culture Ministry is underlining its goal of turning the capital into the region’s arts hub with the Bangkok Asean Film Festival, which opens on Thursday with a new documentary on Thai boxing. 

The ministry has again teamed up with the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, with whom it partnered in June for the Thai Film Festival in London as part of the “Totally Thai” event.

“The Bangkok Asean Film Festival aims to introduce each member country’s culture though good quality, non-mainstream movies of different genres. These range from drama, comedy and action, to documentaries and children’s films. The selected films have been screened at prominent film festivals like Berlin and Warsaw and will be shown here with Thai and English subtitles,” Culture Minister Veera Rojpojanarat says.

A total of 11 films will be screened at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld from Thursday to Sunday. The festival will also be held in Chiang Mai, Khon Khan and Surat Thani.

“All the movies strive to stimulate cultural awareness by portraying and reflecting different perspectives, lifestyles and social issues and aim to prepare the country to welcome our neighbouring companies through film,” said Suvannee Chinchiewchan, secretary of the Federation and the SF Cinemas’ president.

The opening title is “Mart Payak”, a new documentary about boxing champ Samart Payakarun, who was dubbed “The Jade Faced Tiger”. It is part of the “The Great Muay Thai Fighter” series produced by Krungthep Thurakij and the Now 26 channel, with support from the Culture Ministry. It follows Samart from his childhood in Chachoengsao and start in boxing at the age seven to his career as one of Thailand’s best fighters. It includes footage of actual fights, including his 1988 comeback bid, in which he won Thai Fighter of the Year in 1988. The film will later be shown on Now 26, and there are plans to distribute it Asian and European markets.

Another documentary is “Golden Kingdom”, covering Myanmar. The film was screened in the Generation K-plus programme of the Berlin International Film Festival in February, and director Brian Perkins was a nominee for the Best First Feature Award and the Crystal Bear. It tells the story of four young monks left alone in their remote monastery. 

“Brian Perkins’ exploration of four young Buddhists’ coming of age fuses docustyle observation with transporting spiritualism,” Variety critic Guy Lodge wrote. “A cultivated sense of calm – no more or less than you’d expect from a study of Buddhist practice – permeates ‘Golden Kingdom’, an impressively disciplined, occasionally transporting debut feature.”

Also from the Berlin fest is the Vietnamese gay romantic drama “Big Father, Small Father and the Other Stories”. Set in 1990s Ho Chi Minh City, it deals with Vu, a photography student who falls in love with his roommate Thang, a small-time drug dealer. Conflict arises as Vu’s father has arranged for son to marry a woman back home.

In “Crocodile”, the Philippines offers a trip to the marshlands of Agusan del Sur – the country’s largest water catchment basin and home to the Manobo tribe. Directed by Francis Xavier Pasion, the story is based on a 2009 incident in which a 12-year-old girl was attacked and killed by a crocodile.

From Singapore is “1021”, about a teenage girl’s struggles following the death of her mother. Directed by Vicknesh Saravanan, it’s an entry from the city-state’s up-and-coming Tamil-language film movement.

Other entries are “Men Who Save the World” from Malaysia, “Siti” from Indonesia and “The Last Reel” from Cambodia. There is even a pair of romantic comedies from countries that don’t make many movies – “What’s So Special About Rina?” from Brunei and “Really Love 2” from Laos.

And another Thai entry is “Latitude Six”, a drama set in Pattani that was produced by the Internal Security Operations Command. It has various stories about life in the restive South, including a cross-cultural romance between a Muslim woman and a Bangkok musician, portrayed by Peter Corp Dyrendal.

 “I hope the festival will introduce non-mainstream films to Thai audiences and also boost Asean films in the Thai market. At the same time, if Asean members join hands to co-produce movies, our industry will be stronger and can market quality films to the world,” Suvannee told XP.

 

SOUTHEASTERN STORIES

The Bangkok Asean Film Festival runs from Thursday to Sunday at SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fest will also be held at SF cinemas in Chiang Mai from September 3 to 6, Khon Kaen from September 10 to 13 and Surat Thani from September 17 to 20.

Admission is free. Tickets can be collected 30 minutes before the shows. For details, call (02) 268 8888 or check www.SFCinemaCity.com.