SCAR (2010, Athawut Boonyuang, A++++++++++)

THAI FILMS SEEN ON JULY 24, 2010

1.SCAR (Athawut Boonyuang, 12 min, A++++++++++)
แผลเป็น (อรรถวุฒิ บุญยวง)
This is my comment in Thai on SCAR:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VBLrDWW3wE

2.BACKSTAGE (Roongroj Pengpunchum, 15 min, documentary, A+++++)
เบื้องหลัง (รุ่งโรจน์ เพ็งพันธุ์ฉ่ำ)

3.THAI CONTEMPORARY POLITICS QUIZ (2010, Scene 22, 8 min, A+++++)
แบบทดสอบวิชาการเมืองไทยร่วมสมัย (ฉาก 22)
This film satirizes many things in Thai politics. I think this film is very original, because I have never seen a film like this before. This film is in the form of a quiz. It presents us about ten questions. Each question has about 4-6 choices of answers. The film never tells us what the right answer is. Therefore, the film can avoid being too didactic. The film doesn't tell us straightforwardly what the directors think, so I don't feel the film tries to influence the audience too much or tries to judge things for us.

I can't remember the details in this film now, but I will try to give a rough example of the questions I like in this film:

3.1 Ann is a beautiful girl who has many male friends. Her friends like to participate in political rallies. Ann decides to participate in it, too. Ann participates in political rallies, because:

3.1.1 Ann is beautiful.
3.1.2 Ann can't say no to her friends.

There is no choice for "Ann is interested in politics." or "Ann wants to express her political opinions."

3.2 If Ann has a problem, who should she consult with?

3.2.1 Tankun Jittissara
3.2.2 Pongpat Wachirabanjong
3.2.3 Maythee Amornwuthikul
3.2.4 Arisamun Pongruengrong

4.PU-THAI (Weerasak Suyala, 9 min, A+++++)
ปู-ไทย (วีระศักดิ์ สุยะลา)
This film is English-speaking!!!!! Weerasak still excels at making funny films like no one else.

5.THE RENOVATION OF THE TEMPLE (Najaree Ratanajiajaroen, documentary, 42 min, A+++++)
บูรณะ (ณจรี รัตนเจียเจริญ)

6.PUSUMRA (Wachara Gunha, 22 min, A+++++)
ผู้ชำระล้าง (วชร กัณหา)
Every image in this sci-fi film is very beautiful in my point of view, especially the fighting scene in which the snow is falling or something like that. The story in this film, which concerns the emerging of a hero, may not be as interesting as the images. But Wachara told me that he made this film for his little brother who likes watching Ultraman-like Japanese TV series. That explains why PUSUMRA is not as surreal as or as weird as his other films.

The title of this film in Thai (POO CHUM RA LANG) can be literally translated as THE CLEANER or THE WASHER or THE CLEARER or THE PURIFIER or something like that. But Wachara asked his mother to give this film an English title, so she named it PUSUMRA. I like this English title very much. It sounds beautiful and is unique. The film's title would not be as interesting as this if it was callled THE CLEANER.

I would like to screen PUSUMRA with other Thai sci-fi films such as REVERSE (2007, Chaloemkiat Saeyong + Prajak Kadeetham + Ekapol Boonwat, 10 min) and MAY-KYN: THE DAMN REAL NICE GUY (2009, Palakorn Kleungfak, 12 min).

7.THE ILLUDED MOON (Chaisiri Jiwarangsan, 11 min, A+++++)
พระจันทร์ (ชัยศิริ จิวะรังสรรค์)
I think the image and the story in this film captivate me much more than PURE (Chaisiri Jiwarangsan). The image in this film comes from an eye operation, like the film SURREAL RANDOM MMS TEXTS FOR A MOTHER, A SISTER AND A WIFE WHO LONGS FOR YOU: LANDSCAPE WITH FIGURES (2008, Christopher Gozum, Phililppines, A+++++). It can make you feel as uneasy as the eye-slicing scene in UN CHIEN ANDALOU. But you know that what you see in this film is real, not created by special effects. I love the image in this film. It may look bloody, but it is just a fact of life. This film is also relevant to me personally. I always have eye problems, so I think watching an eye operation in this film may help me prepare for what I may have to experience in the future.

The story told in this film is a bit surreal. If I remember it correctly, the videographer of this film is Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The sound effects of this film are done by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook.


8.WAKE ME UP WHEN BLOODY MAY ENDS (Viroj Suttisima, 15 min, A+++++)
พฤษภาคม, 2010 (วิโรจน์ สุทธิสีมา)
I like the way Viroj created this film very much. He uses found footages of a meeting, a group of friends playing game, and some resorts to help narrating a new story. Images of an amicable meeting or seminar are turned into a meeting of some political groups. A funny game-playing is turned into a political metaphor. Images of some resorts are coupled with evil, revengeful thoughts.

9.DRY FISH DAY DREAM (Arpapun Plungsirisoontorn, 6 min, A+++++)
ฝันตากแห้งของปลากลางแดด (อาภาพรรณ ปลั่งสิริสุนทร)
This film presents us with only one scene or one moving-image: the image of the grilling of some fish. It also tells us the thoughts of the fish which want to return to the sea. The sound effect of this film makes us understand that this film is about Thai politics.

The sad thoughts of the fish in this film make me cry. It means that this film touches my feelings more strongly than Arpapun's other films, which seem to affect my brain more than my sentimental feelings.

10.PLACE TO BE (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 5 min, A+++++)
บ้าน (วิวัฒน์ เลิศวิวัฒน์วงศา)
You can watch this film here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/FILMSICK#p/u/69/2nLAcuPfXmY
However, I think the power of this atmospheric film increases exponentially when it is viewed on the big screen.

11,APPEARANCE (Siwawut Paireepinas, 25 min, A+)
เปลือก (ศิวาวุธ ไพรีพินาศ)

12.BUSSABA (Katon Thammavijitdej + Chonlasit Upanigkit + Graisit Garnpariyasoontorn + Parkpoom Choakumnuaysook + Purikorn Pakdeejaroen, 29 min, A+)
บุษบา (กตัณณ์ ธรรมวิจิตเดช, ชลสิทธิ์ อุปนิกขิต, ไกรสิทธิ กานต์ปริยสุนทร, ภาคภูมิ โชคอำนวยสุข, ภูริกร ภักดีเจริญ)
This murder-mystery film has a very interesting plot. But I wonder about the motive of the murder planner. Is he gay? Did he plan the murder because he doesn't like that his friends have got some girlfriends?

13.WHERE CAN I FIND SERIPAP? (Pass Patthanakumjon, 29 min, A+)
ผมจะหาเสรีภาพได้ที่ไหน? (ภาส พัฒนกำจร)

14.PLASTER (Teerachoat Jiworasetkul, 12 min, A+)
พลาสเตอร์ (ธีรโชติ จิวรเศรษฐ์กุล)

15.HITCHPACKER (Sutham Jeerasin, 12 min, documentary, A+)
โบกรถแบกเป้เที่ยว (สุธรรม จีระศิลป์)

16.POSSIBLE...? (Apisit Suetrakoolwong, 11 min, A+)
เป็นไปได้ไง (อภิสิทธิ์ ซื่อตระกูลวงศ์)

17.ONE SIDE LOVER (Panit Pimroon, 11 min, A+)
ผู้รักข้างเดียว (พนิต พิมพ์หรุ่น)

18.TOMORROW (Sutheenunt Permpoonsuntisook, 17 min, A+)
พรุ่งนี้ไม่สำคัญ (สุธีนันท์ เพิ่มพูนขันติสุข)

19.THREE BLESSES (Thanapat Srisook, animation, 4 min, A+/A)
พร 3 ประการ (ธนพัฒน์ ศรีสุข)

20.THREE BLESSES (Gun Sangkaew, 4 min, A+/A)
พร 3 ประการ (กันต์ แสงแก้ว)

21.DAD: DIRECTOR'S CUT (Gun Sangkaew, 10 min, A/A-)
พ่อ ฉบับผู้กำกับ (กันต์ แสงแก้ว)

22.I'M 20 (Setthanun Choatchuangsup, 5 min, A-)
ผมอายุ 20 (เศรษฐนันต์ โชติช่วงทรัพย์)

23.THE FAKE MERIT (Roongroj Kalayapongwanich, 13 min, A-)
บุญสีเทา (รุ่งโรจน์ กัลยาพงศ์วณิช)

24.DESTINY'S PLAY (Nattavut Norasetsrisuk, 13 min, possibly A-)
บู้ไม่หวั่นโชคชะตา (ณัฐวุฒิ นรเสธศรีสุข)
I didn't see the first few minutes of this film.

25.FOR...? (Pats Teerarutsakul, 14 min, A-)
ปีศาจสามตาฟันผุ กับยาสีฟันเหงารัก (ปัถษ์ ธีระรัตน์สกุล)

26.WHAT ARE YOU DOING, SIR? (Phumrapee Tang, 3 min, A-)
ผู้ใหญ่ครับทำอะไรกันคราบบบ (ภูมิรพี แซ่ตั้ง)

27.THE HISTORY ABOUT THE FALL OF RAWEE COUNTRY (2010, Pongpun Yunchevit, 8 min, A-)
ประวัติศาสตร์ว่าด้วยการล่มสลายของประเทศระวี (พงษ์พันธ์ ยืนชีวิต)

28.THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS MIRACLE (Teppatat Kumgaew, 15 min, A-/B+)
ปาฏิหาริย์ไม่มีจริง (เทพทัตถ์ คำแก้ว)

29.THIS PROGRAM: REVENGEFUL GHOST (Gun Sangkaew, 12 min, B+)
โปรแกรมนี้ ผีอาฆาต (กันต์ แสงแก้ว)

30.THE BLESSING OF GOD (Napat Tangsanga, 8 min, B+)
พรวิเศษ (ณภัทร ตั้งสง่า)

31.POPSHOT@THEGANG: MUSEUMSIAM (Saowachai Riabsumrej, documentary, 12 min, B+)
POPSHOT@THEGANG: MUSEUMSIAM (เสาวชัย เรียบสำเร็จ)

32.TOMORROW NEVER COME (Chanin Hanjaroen, 5 min, B+)
พรุ่งนี้ยังไม่เคยมาถึง (ชนินทร์ หาญเจริญ)
Chanin also directed CONFRONT WITH THE TRUTH (2009, 11 min, A+++++).

33.SCARED (Pattrakrit Namwan + Somporn Inaon, 3 min, B)
ผวา (ภัทรกฤต นามวรรณ, สมพร อินอ่อน)

34.FIRST LOVE (Prachuab Plittapolkarnpim, 18 min, B-)
โปรดจำไว้ว่าฉันรักเธอ (ประจวบ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)