Wednesday, July 28, 2010

GENERATION UNDECIDED (2008, Elmar Szucs, A++++++++++)

FILM SEEN OUTSIDE THE FESTIVAL

THAT SOUNDS GOOD (เราสองสามคน) (2010, Leo Kittikorn, Thailand, A+)


FILMS SEEN IN THE NEXT SHOT FESTIVAL ON JULY 14:

1.GENERATION UNDECIDED (2008, Elmar Szucs, Germany, documentary, A++++++++++)

This film is very humanist. It reminds me of other German documentaries which deal with ordinary men, such as

1.1 THE CHAMPIONS (2003, Christoph Huebner, A++++++++++)

1.2 THE HOUSEWIFE'S FLOWER (1999, Dominik Wessely, A++++++++++)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0166106/

1.3 REDEMPTION (2009, Sabrina Wulff, A++++++++++)

I like the way German documentarians portray the lives of ordinary men, their hopes, their shattered dreams, their hesitation about choices in life, and most importantly, the struggles in their lives. The people in these German films may not be exactly "ordinary" in some people's viewpoints. But I think these films show many things in the lives of these men which may strike a chord with some viewers.

Somehow GENERATION UNDECIDED is the opposite of THE CHAMPIONS, because GENERATION UNDECIDED ends with the success of one of the interviewees. This interviewee becomes hopeful in life. However, THE CHAMPIONS saddens me a lot when the "hopeful" interviewees become "hopeless" at the end of the film.

If I have to choose some Thai films to screen with these four German documentaries, I will choose:

1.4 BACKSTAGE (2010, Rungroj Pengpunchum, 15 min, A+++++)
This documentary is about the life and dream of an ordinary man who works at the backstage of concerts.

1.5 TO (2010, Uruphong Ruksasad, 16 min, A+++++)
I'm not sure if this film is a documentary or a fiction. But it looks very real to me. It deals with the life of an ordinary man who has been working for a few years after graduating from a university. He realizes that he is just a person, an ordinary person who may not be important at all to the society, the country, or the world.

2.HAIR (Vincent Hau Wei Chen, A+++++)

3.I’M A UNIVERSITY STUDENT (กูเป็นนักศึกษา) (2010, Ronnachai Panichkul, Thailand, documentary, A+++++)

4.EGO’S MASK (Huong Yu-run, Taiwan, A+++++)

5.A DAY ALONE (2010, Haidar Afandi, Singapore, A+)

6.LES CLOWNS PLEURENT AUSSI (2009, Maguy Fournereau, France, A+)

7.THE DOVECOTE (2008,Romain Beaudéan, France, possibly A+)

8.MENTALLY FAT (2008, Antti Heikki Pesonen, Finland, A+)
http://vimeo.com/12506856

9.24-7 (Alison K., A+)

10.NGÃ (EGO) (2009, KT Doan, Vietnam, A+)
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1242599800138

11.KISSING FACES (2009, Wesley Leon Aroozoo, Singapore, A+/A)

12.HAPPY NEW YEAR (2009, Wu Yu-chi, Taiwan, possibly A+/A)

13.SUNFLOWER (2010, Charlotte Michel, France, A+/A)

14.UNITED WE STAND (2009, Alejandro Pedregal, Finland, A+/A)

15.LOVE IN VAIN (2009, Mikko Myllylahti, Finland, A+/A)

16.WRITTEN IN THE MARGIN (2010, Oriane Descout, France, documentary, A+/A)

17.I AM (Khairul Zikri Kamarulzaman, A+/A)

18.DIALOGUE ABOUT GOD (2010, M. Fazrie Permana, Indonesia, A+/A)

19.WEDLOCK (2010, Haidar Afandi, Singapore, A+/A)

20.SUDDEN DEATH (2009, Alison K., A)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRZddtdnV-0

21.WE NEVER REALLY TALK (Ditta Aprilia, A)

22.EPIPHANY (2010, Han Xuemei, Singapore, A)

23.PEACE HOUSE (Chang Y-ning, Taiwan, A-/B+)

24.THE DARKEST WHITE (2010, Chen Ping Hong, Taiwan, B+)

Monday, July 26, 2010

FUENG (2010, Teeranit Siangsanoh + Wachara Gunha + Thani Thitiprawat, A+++++++++++++++)

Things I like in FUENG including:

1.The opening scene, which begins with the breasts of a woman, then the text says that this film is about eyes, ears, nose, hands, mouth, etc. And the film also shows the images of these organs and the image of the face of a man in green light.

2.The unpredictability of the film. I cannot guess at all what will happen next in the film.

3.I think this film is classic in every second. It makes me want to scream out loud every five second. Every second in this film is beautiful and can't be seen in many other films.

4.It uses superimposition very beautifully. I just notice that Wachara Gunha also uses superimposition in BLACK AND WHITE (2010, 12 min, A+). Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa also uses superimposition beautifully in the fourth minute in PORTRAIT (2009, A+).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDRBQOuMB8w

5.It quotes "beautiful words" in an interesting, half-funny way. I think there are many Thai short films which use "beautiful words" (or words which are often found in poems or literature, but not spoken in real life). Sometimes Thai short films use beautiful words by putting them in the texts (such as in DARK SLEEP by Teeranit Siangsanoh, and in BELONGINGNESS AND LOVE NEEDS by Athawut Boonyuang, if I remember it correctly) or use them via voiceover. But in FUENG, the characters read the beautiful words straightforwardly from the books in a half-funny way, which corresponds to the overall mood of the film. The film finds a balanced way to avoid overemphasizing or ridiculing the beauty of these words.

6.I like the quoted words in FUENG very much, especially the ones about "the lonely penis drawn on the wall of a toilet which displeases you" and "be kind to children, women and old people". If I remember it correctly, the voiceover says these words when we see images of a view outside a fast food restaurant. These sentences seem to be totally unconnected to one another, unconnected to the images, or maybe unconnected to anything in the film. Thus, the words spoken are extremely absurd, funny, thought-provoking, and yield an extreme pleasure. Some quoted words in FUENG are from DIAPSALMATA by Søren Kirkegaard. Some are from the book of Praiwarin Kao-ngarm.

Sunday, July 25, 2010

DOCUMENTARY WISH LIST

1.AMERICAN ALLEY (2008, Kim Dong-ryung, Korea, 90 min)

2.DRIVING MEN (2008, Susan Mogul, USA, 68 min)

3.ENCIRCLEMENT – NEO-LIBERALISM ENSNARES DEMOCRACY (2008, Richard Brouillette, Canada, 160 min)

4.I AM VON HOEFLER (VARIATION ON WERTHER) (2008, Forgacs Peter, Hungary, 160 min)

5.THE LIGHTNING TESTIMONIES (2007, Amar Kanwar, India, 113 min)

6.THE PIER OF APOLONOVKA (2008, Andrei Schwartz, Germany/Ukraine, 86 min)

7.PIOTR ANDERSZEWSKI – QUIET TRAVELER (2009, Bruno Monsaingeon, France, 83 min)

8.SEVEN BLIND WOMAN FILMMAKERS (2008, Mohammad Shirvani, Iran, 116 min)

9.XIMAOJIA UNIVERSE (2009, Mao Chenyu, China, 76 min)

10.YURI—ABOUT LOVING (2008, Azuma Mieko, Germany/Japan, 64 min)

Friday, July 23, 2010

ZERO (2010, Kriangkrai Watananiyom, A++++++++++)

THAI FILMS I SAW ON JULY, 11, 2010:

1.ZERO (Kriangkrai Watananiyom, A++++++++++)
ซีโร่ (เกรียงไกร วัฒนนิยม)
My comment in Thai on ZERO:
http://vimeo.com/13249323

ZERO seems to share many things with LOVE SLEEP (รักหลับ) (2009, Kriangkrai Watananiyom + Amornchai Sirirat, 30 min, A++++++++++), such as the obsession with clocks and bus stops, and it makes me believe that Kriangkrai Watananiyom may be a Thai auteur in the future, if he keeps on making great films like these.

Things I like in ZERO (and in some cases including LOVE SLEEP):

1.1 Some viewpoints on romantic relationship. I don't know what Kriangkrai's viewpoints on relationship are, but I can adapt his two films to fit my own viewpoint. I think his two films don't really believe in love or romantic relationship. In LOVE SLEEP, a man and a woman become attracted to each other, but the film has an ambiguous ending. As for my own interpretation, I think the ending of LOVE SLEEP means that the man has become something like a caged monkey after he begins a romantic relationship. He is happy. He is not a single, lonely man any more. But he loses his freedom in exchange for this so-called happiness.

The first part of ZERO is very romantic, but the second part of ZERO is very un-romantic. "Love" in this film is something temporary, like everything else in this world. You can find a cute girlfriend/boyfriend. He/She will love you "for a while". And then the love just ends. And it's no one's fault. It's very natural. I don't think that it's the characters' fault at all that one day they find out that they don't love their lovers any more. But it's the characters' fault that they lie to their lovers that they will call. I think they shouldn't lie to their lovers. They should just say straightforwardly, "I don't love you any more. It's just because time changes, and I change,... ."

1.2 Both ZERO and LOVE SLEEP portray daily activities. LOVE SLEEP focuses on daily activities of a single man and a single woman. ZERO doesn't really focus on daily activities, but I think some activities portrayed in this film are very memorable: waiting for a phone call, waiting for a bus, using a library, running around a field, and playing a video game. If I understand it correctly, the film begins and ends with the shot of the hero playing a video game.

1.3 The emotional cruelty in ZERO. I don't know why the emotional cruelty in ZERO makes me feel very hurtful. I think it is very cruel that the female student lies to the hero, and makes the hero spend all night long waiting for her phone call. I also think that the scene in which the adult hero breaks up with his girlfriend is very cruel. Somehow these scenes let me share the pain of these characters. And I'm not sure why these scenes are successful in making me feel like that, while many other films, especially romantic films, can't make me feel like that. The "indifference" that the hero feels for his girlfriend at the end of the film makes me feel very sad. But I don't hate him for it. He just doesn't love her any more.

1.4 Its ambiguous tone. I think ZERO is romantic, anti-romantic, playful, serious, funny, sad, sarcastic, ironic, and deeply hurtful. The scene in which the adult hero breaks up with his girlfriend makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. I think it is easier to make a film which makes me want to laugh, or a film which makes me want to cry, but ZERO can do both things in one scene.

1.5 I'm glad that there is no moral lesson at the end of the film. The hero isn't punished.

1.6 I like the scene in which the female student thinks that the hero stalks her, but when she turns around, she finds out that the hero doesn't stalk her any more.

1.7 I like its flash forward. The film seems very pessimistic in the way that I like. Most Thai films dealing with romantic relationship in universities have happy endings, but ZERO seems to do the opposite. ZERO seems to imply that you may have romantic relationships or romantic problems when you are university students, and you will still have this problem no matter how old you are. The problem will persist when you become an adult.

1.8 The second part of the film surprises me. At first, I thought that the hero might find his old girlfriend after fifteen years has passed. Fortunately, he doesn't find her.

1.9 The development of the character. As I like many feel-bad films, I feel very glad to see some Thai short films of which the hero/heroine turns from a good person into a bad person, or from a victim into a victimizer, or from an object of a verb into a subject of a verb. In the case of ZERO, the hero turns from "someone who is dumped by his girlfriend" into "someone who dumps his girlfriend".

1.10 This development of character reminds me of myself. When I was a child, I hate some adults who scolded me harshly without sufficient reasons. When I grow old, I find that I also scold some people harshly without appropriate reasons. Sometimes I get angry at office guards, building guards, sales assistants, office maids, etc, and scold them harshly. And I always regret it later. I have turned into someone I hate. I know I'm a very hot-tempered person. So I always avoid talking to people. But I still have to go to work or go to buy some stuff at a shop. So I can't avoid talking to people all the time. I feel very guilty for the emotional pain I caused to other people.

My comment in Thai on LOVE SLEEP (2009, Kriangkrai Watananiyom + Amornchai Sirirat):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYfkbaQ9hX8

LOVE SLEEP is one of my most favorite films I saw last year:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2010/feature-articles/2009-world-poll/#70


2.SURREPTITIOUS (Thitikarn Karnjanapakdee, 13 min, A+++++)
ซ่อนเร้น (ฐิติกาญจน์ กาญจนภักดี)

3.YOU, ME & TIME MACHINE (Teerath Wangwisarn, 7 min, A+++++)
ฉัน เธอ และไทม์แมชชีน (ธีรัช หวังวิศาล)
One thing I like very much in this film is the fact that the heroine kills her lover without any reason, or without any really appropriate reason. This is the real dark side of human beings. There is something evil inside some of us, and if we are not careful, the evil will control us, maybe for just one minute, and we may spend the rest of our lives regretting that one minute.

This film reminds me of the documentary BAD BOYS CELL 425 (2009, Janusz Mrozowski, Poland, A++++++++++), because there is one handsome prisoner in this documentary who is jailed because when he was a teenager, he killed a person just because he was curious about what it felt like to murder someone.

YOU, ME & TIME MACHINE also reminds me of myself. When I was a little child, I killed some snails just for fun. And I have to spend the rest of my life regretting this sin.

4.PRINCESS (Siraprapa Peungton, 11 min, A+++++)
เจ้าหญิง (ศิรประภา พึ่งตน)
The heroine of this film reminds me of myself, because I like to spend time in my own imaginative world.

5.I’M HERE, YOU’RE FAR (Patana Chirawong, documentary, 90 min, A+)
ฉันอยู่นี่ เธออยู่ไกล (พัฒนะ จิรวงศ์)
This film makes me feel very concerned about the boy who is still alive at the South of Thailand. I wish he becomes successful in his life.

6.CHERIE IS KOREAN-THAI (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 19 min, A+)
เชอรี่เป็นลูกครึ่งเกาหลี (นวพล ธำรงรัตนฤทธิ์)
I like its ending very much. This is a very funny film with class consciousness.

7.ME (Meesak Jeanpong + Kullaya Udomporntepsakul, 19 min, A+)
ฉัน (มีศักดิ์ จีนพงษ์ + กุลยา อุดมพรเทพสกุล)

8.SYMMETRY OF THE UNIVERSE (Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit + Natwadee Jumpakam, Pasutha Disayanun, Wacharapol Saisongkroh, Kochakorn Nawajindapong, 8 min, A+)
ดุลยภาพแห่งจักรวาล (นวพล ธำรงรัตนฤทธิ์, ณัฐวดี จำปาแขม, พสุธา ดิษยนันท์, วัชรพล สายสงเคราะห์, กชกร นวจินดาพงศ์)
The idea of using a little child to talk like a big artist is very funny.

9.DEAR FATHER (Reality Filmmaker, 19 min, A+)
ฉันกับพ่อ (Reality Filmmaker)

10.THE CENTER OF PAIN (Saranij Meesorn, 15 min, A+)
ใจ กลาง ความเจ็บปวด (สารนิจ มีศร)

11.SEVEN TIMES SEVENTY (Sittipong Wongarj, 12 min, A+)
เจ็ดคูณเจ็ดสิบครั้ง (สิทธิพงษ์ วงศ์อาจ)

12.RISK POINT: CHOKING (Bank Rama, 9 min, A+)
จุดเสี่ยง ตอนของติดคอ (Bank Rama)

13.HUSH! (Tanit Pintong, 25 min, A+)
ชู่วส์! (ธนิษฐ์ พินทอง)
I like the two female characters in this film very much. They are not "typical heroines" found in most Thai films. And I like it very much that these two female characters get some handsome rewards in the film.

14.PUNCTURE (Kittipat Knoknak, 10 min, A+)
เจาะ (กิตติพัฒน์ กนกนาค)
Is this a vampire film?

15.DIFFERENT (Dechatorn Bumrungmueng, 8 min, A+)
ชีวิตใคร ชีวิตมัน (เดชาธร บำรุงเมือง)

16.EVERYONE WAS ONCE A KID (Songpol Juntarasom + Pornpong Wongwatrapong, 21 min, A+/A)
เด็กไม่ดี (ทรงพล จันทรสม + พรพงษ์ ว่องวัตรพงศ์)
I like the ending of this film very much.

17.SEND UNKNOWN (Montien Sawasdi, 23 min, A+/A)
จดห(ม)าย (มณเฑียร สวัสดี)

18.STILL (Palakorn Gluengfak, 8 min, A)
แช่ (พลากร กลึงฟัก)
I feel ambiguous for this film. It is very funny, but it unintentionally makes me think about many films I cherish. The ending of STILL reminds me of ALL MY LIFE (1966, Bruce Baillie, A+++++++++++++++), because both films end with the camera moving up onto the sky.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xo5mg_bruce-baillie_creation

19.CHANGE (Tasawas Punyakaew, 6 min, A)
จุดเปลี่ยน (ทศวรรษ ปัญญาแก้ว)
This is not a good film. I just like it because it is rare to find a film which deals with "meeting process".

20.BELONGINGNESS AND LOVE NEEDS (Athawut Boonyuang, 3 min, A)
ดินแดนแห่งความรักชั่วนิรันดร์ (อรรถวุฒิ บุญยวง)
I think the film is too fast for me. I haven't had time to feel anything for the poetry and the images before the film ends.

21.IN THE ROOM (Eakaluck Anuntasomboon, 19 min, A)
ณ ใจ (เอกลักษณ์ อนันตสมบูรณ์)

22.DEFUNCT (Pathompong Lomchai, 8 min, A)
ดับ (ปฐมพงษ์ ลมชาย)

23.SPACE (Jumpot Ruayjaroensup + Kompetch Hongha, 19 min, A)
ช่องว่าง (จุมภฏ รวยเจริญทรัพย์ + คมเพชร หงหา)

24.RISK POINT: CAR SEAT (Bank Rama, 7 min, A)
จุดเสี่ยง ตอนเบาะนิรภัย (Bank Rama)

25.JAO NGO (Yoknapa Ratanamanee + Somporn Kongrod, animation, 3 min, A/A-)
เจ้าเงาะ (หยกนภา รัตมณี + สมพร คงรอด)

26.DEK PETCH (Tossaporn Chuetong, animation, 5 min, A-)
เด็กเพชร (ทศพร เชื้อทอง)

27.FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLY (Prempapat Plittapolkranpim, 26 min, A-)
ดอกไม้และผีเสื้อ (เปรมปพัทธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)
I like the text at the end of the film very much. It is very surprising.

28.THE INNOCENT SAMURAI (Tanongsak Tunnopparat, documentary, 17 min, A-)
ซามูไรไร้เดียงสา (ทนงศักดิ์ ตันนพรัตน์)

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

THE JUDGE (2010, Wachara Gunha, A++++++++++)

FILM SEEN OUTSIDE THE FESTIVAL:

PREDATORS (2010, Nimrod Antal, A-)

THAI FILMS SEEN IN THE FESTIVAL ON SATURDAY, JULY 10:

1.THE JUDGE (Wachara Gunha, 25 min, A++++++++++)
คำพิพากษาของความรัก (วชร กัณหา)
My comment in Thai on THE JUDGE:
http://vimeo.com/13248284

2.LAST OF THAILAND (Teeraniti Siangsanoh, 24 min, A++++++++++)
ความทรงจำของเศษดาว (ธีรนิติ์ เสียงเสนาะ)

3.CHAY, GAYVAH-RAR 'N' THE MACHUPICCHU (Chaloemkiat Saeyong, 20 min, A++++++++++)
คำพิพากษาของซาตาน (เฉลิมเกียรติ แซ่หย่อง)
I like the sudden emotional shift at the beginning of this film. The first minute of this film is very funny. We see a view of grassland in Thailand, while the text says that this is a view of Latin America. Suddenly, the film turns very serious, and ends up causing an extreme sadness for me. I feel very sad because this film makes me think about:

3.1--How Thailand is like Latin America in the 1970's, because of all the political conflicts, the problems of dictatorship, the problems of injustice, and the struggle of the poor

3.2--The endless suffering of the poor. Some of them lose their land because of some greedy capitalists. Some of them have to find work far away from their hometown. Maybe they are like "elephants", which have to move to Bangkok or big cities to find food.

3.3--The cold-blooded murder of some Thai activists or some people who try to protect their own piece of land

3.4--Maybe the end of the problem will not come when the oppressed rise up against the oppressor. But it may come when there is no natural resource left anymore and no one can survive. I think about this thing because in the early part of this film we can see some texts about Schomburgk's Deer, which is a kind of extinct animals. The last wild Schomburgk's Deer was shot dead by a Thai policeman in 1932. It is a kind of "hunted" animals. But in the later part of this film we can see some texts about "tigers", of which some kinds may have also become extinct. In the end, even the "hunters", no matter whether they are animals or humans, won't survive, too.

My friend makes an interesting observation that Chaloemkiat is great in capturing the images of machines or things which are machine-like, and creates some kinds of rhythm from them. The beginning and the end of POLITICALLY LAWYER AND NARRATIVE CINEMA (2009, Chaloemkiat Saeyong, 27 min) presents us some captivating images of a machine at work. CHAY, GAYVAH-RAR 'N' THE MACHUPICCHU presents us some captivating images of a woman who works like a machine.

4.THE SOUND OF SILENCE (Palakorn Jiamtiranat, 45 min, A+++++)
เงียบ (พลากร เจียมธีระนาถ)
I like this film very much, and I'm not sure why. Maybe I just like this kind of surreal psychological films.

5.MY FORTRESS OF HAPPINESS (Prawmalee Songmuang, 19 min, A+++++)
ความทรงจำในม่านตาของเธอ (พราวมาลี สองเมือง)

6.SHADES OF SHADOW: SAGA FROM THE JUNGLE, STRANGER AT KHUN YUAM (Suporn Choosongdech, documentary, 55 min, A+)
เงา: อดีตจากป่า คนแปลกหน้าที่ขุนยวม (ศุภร ชูทรงเดช)

7.DHARMA CAMP (Supakit Seksuwan, documentary, 24 min, A+)
ค่ายธรรมะ (ศุภกิติ์ เสกสุวรรณ)
I like the way Supakit juxtaposes the images from a Buddhist institution with images from a Christian institution, without judging anything. The film seems to neither denounce nor affirm anyone's religious beliefs. As for some viewers who may have no religion like me, this film feels very friendly (though it may not be as friendly as MY TEACHER EATS BISCUITS), or at least not as threatening to atheists as the title may imply. I think the film doesn't try to say to me that religion is great or try to convert me to be anything. It just observes the way things are.

8.DREAM OF THE DEATH (2010, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 25 min, A+)
ความฝันของคนตาย (วิวัฒน์ เลิศวิวัฒน์วงศา)
Is this film partly inspired by Lav Diaz, like ENCANTOS (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 8 min, A+)? This partly-political, partly-spiritual(?) film lets us watch some landscapes for a long time. I don't think I could attune my wavelength to this film's wavelength in my first viewing, unlike THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 18 min, A++++++++++) which captivates me totally in my first viewing. I'm not trying to say that DREAM OF THE DEATH is inferior to THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT. What I'm trying to say is that I may need to see it a second time before I can say that this film is the kind of film I really like or not. Maybe it is like Bruce Baillie's films. I remember that the first time I saw Baillie's films, I thought they were "average". A week later, I saw Baillie's films for the second time, and they gave me one of the greatest cinematic pleasures I have ever had.

DREAM OF THE DEATH accidentally reminds me of these films:

8.1 FOR ALEXIS (2009, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)
http://vimeo.com/6408991
This film also deals with the journey of the spirit of the dead.

8.2 SMILES OF THE FIFTH NIGHT (2005, Sonthaya Subyen)
This film also talks about our mortality, and lets us watch the images of the world, which have existed long before we were born, and will continue to exist after our death.

I think it would also be interesting to compare DREAM OF THE DEATH with NO ONE AT THE SEA (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh, A+) and AGATHA AND THE UNLIMITED READINGS (1981, Marguerite Duras, A+++++). These three films let us watch the images of the sea and the seashore for a very long time, but each of them brings about very different feelings. The "content" of the images in these three films are the same: the sea and the seashore. But the "feelings" are very different: loneliness in NO ONE AT THE SEA, calmness of mind in DREAM OF THE DEATH, and unexplainable feelings in AGATH AND THE UNLIMITED READINGS.

You can watch NO ONE AT THE SEA here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/nangtoszlong#p/u/23/8vB7yCQURj8


9.LET IT FLOW (Eakapojd Jangkijkul, 22 min, A+)
ความจริงที่...ไม่มีใคร(อยาก)รู้ (เอกพจน์ แจ้งกิจกุล)

10.THE MOTHER WANNA GO TO CARREFOUR (2010, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 6 min, A+)

11.THE WHITE DARKNESS (Akapat Intuprapa, 18 min, A+)
ความมืดสีขาว (อรรคพรรษ อินทุประภา)

12.KARAOKE: THINK KINDLY (Scene 22, 5 min, A+)
คาราโอเกะเพลงแผ่เมตตา (ฉาก 22)

13.UNFORTUNATELY ME (Kanitcha Apiamornkant, 7 min, A+)
ความจริงแล้ว...คือผมเอง (คณิตชา อภิอมรกานต์)

14.THE_SUN (Siripong Sowanna, 4 min, A+)
คือดวงอาทิตย์ (ศิริพงษ์ โสวัณณะ)

15.MISSION (Siripong Sowanna, 5 min, A+)
คือภารกิจ (ศิริพงษ์ โสวัณณะ)

16.A LAUDABLE EFFORT OF LITTLE GIRL WANNASA (2009, Eakarach Monwat, 8 min, A+/A)
ความพยายามอันน่าชื่นชมของเด็กหญิงวรรณษา (เอกราช มอญวัฒ)
You can watch this film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhwtFscSJCY

17.THE PARTY OF MY GRANDFATHER'S WIFE (Phumraphee Sae-tang, 4 min, A+/A)
งานเลี้ยงแฟนปู่ (ภูมิรพี แซ่ตั้ง)

18.HAPPINESS (Jinna Rujisenee, 9 min, A+/A)
ความสุข (จิณณะ รุจิเสนีย์)

19.THE LETTER OF MR. COLOUR BLINDNESS (Sorayos Prapapan, 10 min, A+/A)
จดหมายของนายตาบอดสี (สรยศ ประภาพันธ์)
Sorayos also directed MAGIC LOVER SHOW (มนต์รักนักกล) (2008, 27 min).

20.MY GRANDFATHER'S FISHING ROD (Attakorn Muchnuntiksamai, 6 min, A)
คันเบ็ดของคุณตา (อรรถกร มัชณันติกสมัย)

21.THE PARTNER 3 (Sartthar Tharchai, 18 min, A)
คู่หูป๊อดปอด 3 (ศรัทธา ทาไชย)

22.DREAM (Phumraphee Sae-tang, 5 min, A)
ความฝัน (ภูมิรพี แซ่ตั้ง)
Phumraphee also directed DO IT BY MYSELF (ทำเองสบายเอง) (2008, 4 min, A+) and WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY VOICE? (ซื้อเสียงไหมครับ) (2008, 4 min, A+/A).

23.WINTER REMINISCE (Tanutpun Palakawong Na Ayudhaya, 14 min, A)
ความทรงจำดีดีในหน้าหนาว (ธนัทภัณ ปาลกะวงศ์ ณ อยุธยา)

24.SYNTHESIZED MEMORY OF A LINGERING YEARNING FOR ONE'S ROOT (Norachai Kajchapanont, 10 min, A)
ความทรงจำสังเคราะห์แห่งความรู้สึกโหยหารากเหง้าของตัวตน (นรชาย กัจฉปานนท์)
I think the images in this film are not as powerful as I wish they could be. The film is fine, but I wish it could be a little bit more haunting, atmospheric, extreme, strange, or enigmatic than this one.

25.WAITING (Paween Kittikovit, 4 min, A)
คอย (ปวีณ กิตติโกวิท)
I'm not sure if I like the ending of this film or not. I may have given this film A+++++, if the man is frozen to death (or something like that) while waiting.

26.BAT, BANANA, AND BANGKOK (Puripun Rujikajorn, 4 min, A/A-)
ค้างคาวกินกล้วยกรุงเทพ (ภูริพันธุ์ รุจิขจร)

27.UROBOROS (Maythanee Chaiyasithi, animation, 2 min, A/A-)
งูกินหาง (เมทนี ชัยสิทธิ์)

28.THE HAPPINESS OF BOABOA (Roamrun Jongjab, 10 min, A-)
ความสุขของโบว์โบว์ (โรมรัน โจงจาบ)

29.DIFFERENCES IN CONFORMITY (Wittaya Poosawat + Nawan Piboolnorasait, 30 min, A-)
Wittaya also directed THE RUN JUMPER (ปัญหา อุปสรรค ทางแก้) (2008, 25 min, A-)

30.CAFFEINE (Sittikorn Wongwuttianant, 19 min, A-)
คาเฟอีน (สิทธิกร วงศ์วุฒิอนันต์)

31.THE KILLER (Prem Plittapolkranpim, 6 min, A-)
ฆ่าคน (เปรม ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)

32.TEACHING (Sasitorn Rungratoak + Siripong Sowanna, 5 min, A-)
คือคำสอน (ศศิทร รุนกระโทก + ศิริพงษ์ โสวัณณะ)

33.HOPE AFTER PINIJ (Wannisa Wongwan, documentary, 12 min, B+)
ความหวังหลังพินิจ (วรรณิศา วงแหวน)

34.MEN MAKE TO MIX (Paibool Aksornnumpeung, 27 min, B)
ฅน คน คนหลาย ฅน (ไพบูลย์ อักษรน้ำผึ้ง)

Monday, July 19, 2010

MY EYE PROBLEM

From my Facebook status:

ช่วงนี้มีอาการตามัว บางทีก็มัวตาซ้าย บางทีก็มัวตาขวา ไปหาจักษุแพทย์แล้วตรวจไม่พบสาเหตุอะไร แต่เพื่อความปลอดภัย ช่วงนี้เราเลยขอลดเวลาในการใช้สายตาลงสักพัก เพราะฉะนั้นก็เลยขอเลื่อนเวลาในการให้เกรดหนังสั้นออกไปเรื่อยๆนะจ๊ะ

ตอนนี้จะพยายามลดการเล่นอินเทอร์เน็ตลง หวังว่าคงจะช่วยทำให้อาการดีขึ้นได้บ้าง เรามีอาการนี้ครั้งแรกตอนคืนวันที่ 1 ก.ค. ตาข้างซ้ายมัว เวลาเราปิดตาขวา แล้วใช้ตาซ้ายเพียงตาเดียว จะอ่านหนังสือไม่ค่อยออก แต่ถ้าเราปิดตาซ้าย แล้วใช้ตาขวาเพียงตาเดียว จะอ่านหนังสือออก เราก็เลยไปหาหมอในวันที่ 2 ก.ค. แต่ตรวจไม่พบอะไร

พอวันศุกร์ที่ 16 ก.ค. เราก็พบว่าตาขวาเรามัว วันนั้นเราไปดูหนังและนั่งอยู่กลางโรง พอเราปิดตาซ้าย และใช้ตาขวาเพียงตาเดียว เราจะอ่านตัวหนังสือเล็กๆใน ending credit ไม่ออก แต่ถ้าเราใช้ตาซ้ายเพียงตาเดียว เราจะอ่าน ending credit ออก แต่คิดว่าคราวนี้เราคงจะยังไม่ไปหาหมอ แต่จะเน้นการพักผ่อนแทนและรอดูอาการไปก่อน

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

CHANGING (Nipaporn Kunsing + Pimpetch Pimtong, A+++++)

FILM SEEN OUTSIDE THE FESTIVAL:
ALLONS-Y! ALONZO! (2009, Camille Moulin-Dupré, France, animation, A+)


THAI FILMS SEEN IN THE FESTIVAL ON FRIDAY, JULY 9, 2010:

1.CHANGING (Nipaporn Kunsing + Pimpetch Pimtong, A+++++)
ความเปลี่ยนแปลง (นิภาพร ขันสิงห์ + พิมพ์เพชร พิมพ์ทอง)
My comment in Thai on CHANGING:
http://vimeo.com/13220663

2.CIVIC EDUCATION ON CLIPS (Shunya Thawit-angkoon, 20 min, A+++++)
คลิปใหม่คนใหม่หัวใจพลเมือง (ชัญญา ธวิตอังกูร)

3.A VERY LONELY SINGLE ISOLATION MAN (Palakorn Kleungfak, 15 min, A+++++)
ความเดียวดายที่ล่องลอยบนมวลอารมณ์ (พลากร กลึงฟัก)
My favorite scene in the film is the one in which the voiceovers of two lonely men on a rooftop are heard at the same time. The film is a parody on many Thai short films which deal with lonely men/women. I think the film is extremely funny.

There are now a few Thai short films which seem to be parodies on other films or on some kinds of films/genres. The problem with some parodies is that they may look like they hold "other people's personal tastes" in contempt (which means they can't accept the fact that each person is different from one another), or they may not really understand the things they parody. It is a very tricky act. If the parody filmmakers are not careful, your parodies may make some viewers think you look down on other people/filmmakers.

It is hard to judge whether each parody is a sincere comedy (the filmmakers just want us to laugh, but not look down on other filmmakers), a sharp observation on a genre of films, or an expression of contempt for other people's personal tastes. I think each viewer can decide for himself/herself which parody belongs to which group. As for my personal opinion, I think A VERY LONELY SINGLE ISOLATION MAN is a sharp observation on a genre of Thai films.

Other parodies for the viewers to decide:

3.1 ONCE UPON A TIME (กาลครั้งหนึ่ง) (Warawut Wachirapakorn, A)
Is this film a parody?

3.2 SLEEP (นอน) (2009, Nathan Homsup, 6 min, A+)
Is this film a parody?

3.3 STILL (แช่) (Palakorn Kleungfak, A)

3.4 YOU HAVE TO WAIT, ANYWAY (2007, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 22 min, A+)


4.KONTHAN (Witchupong Sookwichai, 20 min, A++++++)
คนธรรพ์ (วิชชุพงษ์ สุขวิชัย)

5.OWN (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 5 min, A+)
ครอง (วิวัฒน์ เลิศวิวัฒน์วงศา)
You can watch this film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kUq0wD6M0A

6.WOODMAN (Pathompong Lomchai, 8 min, A+)
คนตัดไม้ (ปฐมพงษ์ ลมชาย)

7.SMOKE (Pongtawee Srilasuk, 11 min, A+)
ควันทรงจำ (พงษ์ทวี ศรีลาศักดิ์)

8.JOCKEY BOY (Kobboon Chatkraiseree, documentary, 19 min, A+/A)
คนเลี้ยงม้า (กอบบุญ ฉัตรไกรเสรี)

9.HE (Amornlarp Promsuwan, 5 min, A+/A)
คน (อมรลาภ พรหมสุวรรณ)

10.THE GOOD PEOPLE OF LOMTUAN VILLAGE (Gun Sangkaew, documentary, 7 min, A)
คนดีแห่งบ้านลมทวน (กันต์ แสงแก้ว)

11.MY HAPPY FAMILY (Punja Saithong, 10 min, A)
ครอบครัวแสนสุขของฉัน (ปัญจะ สายทอง)

12. WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF GOOD PEOPLE? (Wacharapol Saisongkroh + Krissada Sutpattanakul, documentary, 15 min, A/A-)
คนดี คืออะไร? (วัชรพล สายสงเคราะห์ + กฤษฎา สุทธ์พัฒนกุล)
I like the lesbian couple in this film very much. I also like the fact that each person is different. For one person, doing a good thing is easy. For another person, doing a bad thing is easy. You cannot apply "your truth" to other people. Other people have their own truth. Doing a good thing may be easy for you, but you must not assume that it will always be true for other people. I like it very much that the film interviews people who think differently about this issue.

The reason I give it only A/A- is just because the topic of "good people" is not interesting for me personally.


13.THOUGHTS (Orathai Tong-udom, 5 min, A/A-)
ความคิด (อรทัย ทองอุดม)


14.DEAD MAN (Prem Plittapolkranpim, 6 min, A-)
คนตาย (เปรม ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)

15.KON FAI LOOK (Somporn Inaon, 2 min, B+)
คนไฟลุก (สมพร อินอ่อน)

16.CHANG (Nattawut Norasetsrisook, 2 min, B+)
คนไทยหัวใจเดียวกัน (ณัฐวุฒิ นรเสธศรีสุข)

Thursday, July 08, 2010

RED MOVIE (2010, The Underground Office, A++++++++++)

THAI FILMS SEEN ON JULY 8, 2010

1.RED MOVIE (2010, The Underground Office, 30 min, A++++++++++)
แกะแดง (สำนักงานใต้ดิน)
I don't know if this film can be called a cinematic pamphlet or not. Though I may not agree with the political standpoint of this film, I still worship this film for at least two main reasons—its power of suppressed anger (ความคับแค้นใจ) and its weirdness.

There are at least three scenes I worship in this film:

1.1 The scene of three labor-class people eating
1.2 The scene of a lame man and a censorship effect which tries in vain to cover the face of the lame man
1.3 The scene of two people walking in the street in the dark, before everything turns into butterflies

I don't know what these scenes mean, but somehow RED MOVIE makes me believe in the power of cinema.


2. BANGKOK 2021 A.D. DIRECTOR'S CUT (Alwa Ritsila, 86 min, A+++++)
กรุงเทพมหานครเมืองโคตรมนุษย์ คริสต์ศักราช 2021 (ฉบับผู้กำกับ)

3. CHAIR (Atetya Saisa-ard, animation, 7 min, A+/A)
เก้าอี้ (อเทตยา สายสะอาด)

4.THANK YOU, UNCLE BOONMEE (Korakot Nonkookaitkong, documentary, 47 min, A/A-)
ขอบคุณ ลุงบุญมี (กรกฎ โนนคู่เขตโขง)

5. ASK THE STAR (Nuttorn Kungwanklai, animation, 4 min, A-)
ขอดาว (ณัฏฐ์ธร กังวาลไกล)

6. TRASH (Raywat Supaluck, 8 min, A-)
ขยะ (เรวัติ ศุภลักษณ์)

REWARDED TOY (Soratus Puengsiricharoen, animation, 1 min)
ของเล่นที่ได้รางวัล (สรทัศน์ ปึงศิริเจริญ)
I give this film "no grade" because I don't understand the dialogue in this film.

REMEMBRANCE (Sitthiporn Racha, A++++++++++)

THAI FILMS SEEN ON JULY 7, 2010

1.REMEMBRANCE (Sitthiporn Racha, 29 min, A++++++++++)
กาลานุสติ (สิทธิพร ราชา)
My comment in Thai on REMEMBRANCE:
http://vimeo.com/13157613

2.BODY CRITICISM (2009, Chaiwat Wiansantia, 20 min, A+++++)
กายวิพากษ์ (ชัยวัช เวียนสันเทียะ)
You can watch this film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHkpr_gZ1bs

3.SHORT TIME JOURNEY (Nuttorn Kungwanklai, 11 min, A+++++)
การเดินทางระยะสั้น (ณัฏฐ์ธร กังวาลไกล)

4.KINNAREE (Worathep Tummaoros, 30 min, A+)
กินรี (วรเทพ ธรรมโอรส)

5.BALANCE (Olarn Posuwan, documentary, 15 min, A+)
การทรงตัว (โอฬาร โปสุวรรณ)

6.WALL OF DIPLOMA (Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, 5 min, A+)
กำแพงปริญญา (วิวัฒน์ เลิศวิวัฒน์วงศา)
You can watch this film here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHYdADtkF_s

7.LIVE SHOW (Surasak Dusitsatitgaiwal, documentary, 5 min, A+)
การแสดงสด (สุรศักดิ์ ดุสิตสถิตไกวัล)

8.THE GHOST GAME (Wanichpong Sitthikornwanich, animation, 3 min, A+/A)
เกมหลอน ซ่อนวิญญาณ (วนิชพงศ์ สิทธิกรวณิช)

9.THE FIRST OF DREAM (Adisak Muenming, 33 min, A)
ก้าวแรกสู่ความฝัน (อดิศักดิ์ เหมือนมิ่ง)
I gave A++++++++++ to the slow-motion boxing scene in this film. It is unintentionally homoerotic for me, and the slow-down rhythm reminds me of the film PUGILIST SERIES 449 (2006, Alex Davies, Australia, 25 min, A+)
http://schizophonia.com/installation/pugilist449/index.html

10.ONCE UPON A TIME (Warawut Wachirapakorn, 15 min, A)
กาลครั้งหนึ่ง (วราวุฒิ วชิราภากร)

11.LAMPHUN BOYS (Thitipong Inija, documentary, 13 min, A-)
กำกึ๊ด (ฐิติพงษ์ อินิจา)
I gave A+ to the Lamphun part in this film, but the other parts in this film are boring.

FEAR (Chanon Treenate, A++++++++++)

THAI FILMS SEEN ON JULY 6, 2010

1.FEAR (Chanon Treenate, 20 min, A++++++++++)
กลัว (ชานนท์ ตรีเนตร)
My comment in Thai on FEAR:
http://vimeo.com/13134622

I'm not sure if this is Chanon's website or not:
http://poggg.multiply.com/

2.RUNNING (Wachara Gunha, 3 min, A+++++)
กระต่ายในดวงจันทร์ (วชร กัณหา)
I like the editing of this film very much. I'm not sure what this film is about, but it makes me think about the suffering we experience when we try to achieve many things in life. Though the anti-materialistic message in this film may be a cliché, I still love the way this film sends this message by putting some unconnected images together. I also love the playful tone of this film. But maybe I just don't fully understand this film.

3.GRAFFITI (Pornthep Jaipra, documentary, 5 min, A+++++)
กราฟฟิตี้ (พรเทพ ใจพระ)
This film makes me question why many people worship traditional art but look down on contemporary art.

4.BANGKOK 2021 A.D. (PHATAMON'S CUT) (Phatamon Chitarachinda, 30 min, A+)
กรุงเทพมหานครเมืองโคตรมนุษย์ คริสต์ศักราช 2021 (เวอร์ชั่นสั้น) (พัทธมน จิตระจินดา)

5.THE ONLY THING LEFT (Artitya Junprasert, 27 min, A+/A)
กวยอาเจียง (อาทิต์ยา จันทร์ประเสริฐ)

6.HUNTER THE BAG (Wachara Gunha + Thani Thitiprawat, 17 min, A+/A)
กระเป๋า (วชร กัณหา, ธนิ ฐิติประวัติ)

7.RULE (Songyoot Kumyarnburi + Krissana Nampradit, animation, 10 min, A+/A)
กฎ (ทรงยุทธ กำยานบุรี + กฤษณะ นามประดิษฐ์)

8.CONFINE (Pop Nukoonrut, 12 min, A)
กักกัน (ภพฐ์ นุกูลรัตน์)

9.THE MISSING COFFEE (Chanop Nasamran, 18 min, A)
กาแฟเย็น (ชนพ นาสำราญ)

10.WORLDLY RHYTHM (Anon Saiyotha, 16 min, possibly A)
WORLDY RHYTHM (อานนท ไสย์โยธา)
I think I missed the first three minutes of this essayistic anti-war film.

11.GO HOME (Wishuda Wongsri, 5 min, A)
กลับบ้าน (วิชชุดา วงษ์ศรี)

12.BEFORE ADULTERY (Panithan Boontrick, 8 min, A/A-)
กว่าจะรู้เดียงสา (ปณิธาน บุณฑริก)

13.CONVENTION (Witthawin Lertrasameemala, 16 min, A-)
กรอบ (วิชญ์ธาวิน เลิศรัศมีมาลา)

14.KARMA (Parin Rakbankerd, 4 min, A-)
กรรม (ปริญญ์ รักบ้านเกิด)

15.COME BACK 'HOME' (Preecha Sakorn, documentary, 15 min, B+)
กลับบ้าน (ปรีชา สาคร)

16.YOU SHOULD HUG YOUR DAD, TOO (Pituck Ruengrotsin, B+)
กอดพ่อด้วยดิ (พิทักษ์ เรืองโรจน์สิน)

Tuesday, July 06, 2010

THE WALK: A TRIP IN PHUKET (Thanaporn Saelor, A++++++++++)

THINGS SEEN OUTSIDE THE FESTIVAL

1.A NOCTURNE (2007, Bill Mousoulis, Australia, A++++++++++)

2.KEU POO APIWAT (2010, Sineenadh Keitprapai, stage play, A+++++)

3.YIM SAWASDEE (1978, Pornpot Ganitasen, Thailand, A+++++)


FILMS SEEN IN THE THAI SHORT FILM FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY

1.THE WALK: A TRIP IN PHUKET (Thanaporn Saelor, documentary, A++++++++++)
the walk เที่ยว ภูเก็ต ธนพร แซ่ล้อ 29

Guilty pleasure of the year
My comment in Thai on THE WALK: A TRIP IN PHUKET
http://vimeo.com/13080985


2.THE LAST TAPE (Prasertsak Roongrojana, A+++++)
THE LAST TAPE ประเสริฐศักดิ์ รุ่งโรจน์ 30


3.SUICIDE PARADISE (Watanyoo Ingkawiwat, A+++++)
Suicide Paradise วทัญญู อิงควิวัฒน์ 23

4.THE LAST MOMENT (Prempapat Plittapolkranpim, A+++++)
The last moment เปรมปพัทธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์ 11


5.THE MINE GAME (Nuttorn Kungwanklai, A+++++)
The Mine Game ณัฎฐ์ธร กังวาลไกล 14


6.UNMORAL SELECTION (Anont Saiyotha, A+++++)
Unmoral Selection อานนท์ ไสย์โยธา 24


7.THE COMPANION (Rujinakorn Chaiharn, documentary, A+)
The Companion รุจน์จินากร ไชยหาญ 38


8.THE EYE (Gun Sangkaew, A+)
THE EYE กันต์ แสงแก้ว 6


9.THE COLOR WAY (Witthawin Lertrasameemala, A+)
THE COLOR WAY วิชญ์ธาวิน เลิศรัศมีมาลา 17

10.VOICE... (Worawit Ekumnerd, A+)
VOICE... วรวิท อิกำเหนิด 6

11.UNTITLED (Suebsang Sangwachirapiban + Porawong Boonchoui, animation, A+)
Untitled สืบแสง แสงวชิระภิบาล/ ปรวงค์ บุญช่วย 9


12.THE LAST SHOT (Kanin Ramasoot, A+)
THE LAST SHOT คณิน รามสูต 29


13.YES, NO, OK?, BUT, OR, AND, ALL, HOW?, WHY! (Thip Tang, A+)
Yes, No, OK?, But, Or, And, All, How?, Why! ทิพย์ แซ่ตั้ง 4


14.THE BLACK BMW (Supanut Chaiglaharn, A+)
THE BLACK BMW ศุภณัฐ ชัยกล้าหาญ 14


15.THE INSIDE (Eakarach Monwat + Pongsakorn Rudeekulrangsee, A+)
The Inside เอกราช มอญวัฒ,พงศกร ฤดีกุลรังสี 15

16.VIRUS (Rujipun Piroonpawadee, A+)
Virus รุจิพันธ์ พิรุฬห์ภาวดี 3

17.THE YELLOW WAY (Poom Boonyasompop, A+/A)
The Yellow Way ภูมิ บุณยสมภพ 7


18.WALLY & WOLLY (Chairat Yangsuay, animation, 4 min, A+/A)


19.TINEA CRURIS (Pongtawee Srilasuk, A)
Tinea Cruris พงษ์ทวี ศรีลาศักดิ์ 3


20.THE RAINING BILLS (Krissada Suteetorn, A)
The Raining Bills กฤษดา สุธีธร 15



TEASER (no grade):

THE LAST NIGHT (teaser) Chawakarn Umsomkid
The last night. (teaser) ชวการ อ่ำสมคิด 1

THE SCHOOL BEAUTY 1.5 (Prempapat Plittapolkranpim + Prempapan Plittapolkranpim)
The school beauty 1.5 เปรมปพัทธ ,เปรมปพันธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์ 2

Sunday, July 04, 2010

A NOCTURNE (2007, Bill Mousoulis, A++++++++++)

A NOCTURNE (2007, Bill Mousoulis, A++++++++++)

MUNDANE DAYS, MUNDANE NIGHTS

SPOILERS ALERT:

A NOCTURNE is a vampire film like no other vampire films I have ever seen (but I haven't seen THE ADDICTION). I think A NOCTURNE is very thought-provoking (at least as thought-provoking as TROUBLE EVERY DAY), and there is a philosophical level or a metaphorical level in this film which I can't understand. I'm not sure what vampires in this film stand for. Nevertheless, there are many things I like in this film, including:-

1.Its strong atmosphere—the darkness, the light, the shadow, the rooms which are quite empty. I especially like the scene in which we see a character sits in front of a large bare white wall. The feeling of emptiness is quite strong. The film is not as strongly atmospheric as Philippe Grandrieux' films. But the atmosphere in A NOCTURNE is very effective in its own way. I think A NOCTURNE doesn't try to create "extremely beautiful images". Maybe A NOCTURNE doesn't try to make the darkness appear too seductive. Maybe A NOCTURNE wants to make the darkness look beautiful, seductive, and mundane at the same time.

2.The pianist character. I don't know what this character stands for. I have no knowledge about classical music. But this character accidentally makes me think about my life as a film lover. Seeing a great film like A NOCTURNE or listening to a good music gives me "a temporary escape" from my mundane life. I like it very much that we see this pianist character at the beginning and at the end of the film. I like it very much that we see this character hesitate before she walks into the daylight in the outside world. I don't know what these scenes stand for. But it accidentally makes me think about myself. The hesitation this character has just reminds me of my own feelings when a film festival ends. After a film festival ends, I always feel sad and hesitate to return to my daily routine life. But I still have to return to my daily routine life to make a living. It's a sad fact of life. The classical song this pianist plays reminds me of "the enjoyment" I gain from art or from film festivals. The bright world the pianist walks into at the end of the film reminds me of my daily boring routine life.

3.That brings me to a question—should I "forever" escape from my daily boring routine life? Maybe not. Especially after seeing the lives of these vampires in A NOCTURNE. I don't know what these vampires stand for, but they accidentally make me feel that sometimes when you escape from a kind of boring life, you may end up in another kind of boring life. The life of the ultimate pleasure, the life in which you totally abandon the society, may give you extreme pleasure "for a while". After that, boredom may sets in again, especially when you can't escape forever from the society, but have to depend a little from the society you may hate. There are some old photographs shown in this film, which make me think that these vampires are like a kind of weird, rebellious artists who have existed for the last hundred years. I mean the kind of artists who may make porn photographs a hundred years ago, make lesbian vampire films in the 1970's, or make graffiti art today.

4.I like the scene in which someone who looks like "a businessman" murders a character, and we can also see the word "muliticutural advertising marketing" before the murder. After the murder, we can also see the words "private property, fuck off" and "television advertising". I'm not sure what they mean. Does this scene mean a businessman can kill the soul of a rebellious artist?

5. I like the multicultural characters in this film. The couple vampires in this film seem to have French ancestry. They also give eternal life to a Vietnamese girl who is keen on drawing. There is also a character who looks like a werewolf and may speak German. These characters accidentally remind me of the art crowd.

6.I like the contrast between the beautiful classical music and the heavy-metal music at the beginning of the film. It accidentally reminds me of the beginning of FUNNY GAMES (Michael Haneke), though I think this use of music carries a different meaning in A NOCTURNE. The heavy-metal music is used in A NOCTURNE when we see the images of mundane life in the daylight.

7.I also like the mundane daytime city scene near the end of A NOCTURNE very much. In a way, it accidentally reminds me of the ending of THE ECLIPSE (Michelangelo Antonioni), though it may look like the opposite of each other. The scene in A NOCTURNE is full of people, while the scene in THE ECLIPSE is almost devoid of people. But both scenes give me the feelings of loneliness, alienation, and boredom of life.

8.I like the use of sound in this film very much, especially in an early scene in which the couple vampires hear some construction sound outside their room, or in a scene in which they hear something like a howling far away (if I remember it correctly), and in a late scene in which we hear something like the mundane sound of an air-conditioner after the pianist finishes playing the classical music.

9.I like the various minor characters in the film, including someone who look like a zombie outside a mini-mart, a handsome vampire who preys on a lonely woman, a cannibal who is obsessed with his dead lover, a man who looks like a German-speaking werewolf and seems to be afraid of himself, a French woman who looks like a witch, a middle-class woman who is attacked by the vampire, and a lonely girl who is seduced by the vampire (or maybe by an alternative lifestyle).

10. I like the editing in some scenes very much, especially the scene in which the Vietnamese woman draws some images and suddenly sees a woman in black in her room. After they talk for a while, suddenly the film jumps to a scene in which the two women fight against each other.

11. Some images are forever etched into my memory, and I don't know why. Especially the image of a blood-stained nail at the minute 22 in the film, and the image of the vampire hero standing at the back of the vampire heroine, who is sitting on a chair, at the minute 23 in the film. It is strangely beautiful.

A scene from A NOCTURNE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH416FUfM4A

You can read the review of A NOCTURNE by Taliesin here:
http://taliesinttlg.blogspot.com/2010/06/nocturne-night-of-vampire-review.html

You can buy this film here:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003FP0XL8/ref=s9_simh_gw_p74_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=01R05CCGZAG9R6FCA4D6&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846




Saturday, July 03, 2010

COMING OF AIDS (Wasuthep Ketpetch, A+++++)

FILMS SEEN LATELY

COMING OF AIDS (Wasuthep Ketpetch, A+++++)
COMING OF AIDS (วาสุเทพ เกตุเพ็ชร์)

DELUSION (MOHA) (Suparirk Kanitwaranun, A+++++)

COMPETITIVE STRATEGY (Weera Rakbangerd, A+++++)
COMPETITIVE STRATEGY (วีระ รักบ้านเกิด)

HAPPEN! (Taweewit Kitthanasoontorn, A+++++)
HAPPEN! (ทวีวิทย์ กิจธนสุนทร)

DEPT OF KILL (Panich Jirawattananun, A+)
DEPT OF KILL (พณิช จิระวัฒนานันท์)

COWBOYMILK (Ekapon Setthasook, A+)
COWBOYMILK (เอกภณ เศรษฐสุข)

DEAR MUM AND DAD (Wanweaw Hongwiwat + Weawwan Hongwiwat, A+)

DISAPPER (Pirun Anusuriya, A+)
DISAPPEAR (พิรุณ อนุสุริยา)

CLEAN (Ploypun Wisetsinthop, A+)
CLEAN (พลอยพรรณ วิเศษสินธพ)

DEPRESSION (Thitiwat Samitinuntana, A+)
DEPRESSION (ฐิติวัฒน์ สมิตินันทน์)

DO YOU LOVE ME? (Prempapat Plittpolkranpim, A+)

COCKROACHES (Nattapong Nilprom, animation, A+)
COCKROACHES (ณัฐพงศ์ นิลพรหม)



FOOD & DRINK (Sarayuth Tangjitpaew, A)
FOOD & DRINK (ศรายุทธ์ ตั้งจิตแผ้ว)

DESSERT & DELIGHT (Sarayuth Tangjitpaew, A)
DESSERT & DELIGHT (ศรายุทธ์ ตั้งจิตแผ้ว)

FEEL FIELD (Nutta Punyadilok, A/A-)
FEEL FIELD (ณัฏฐา ปัญญาดิลก)

DATE (Jarumas Wannapong, A-)
DATE (จารุมาศ วรรณพงษ์)

DIFFERENT (Garn Naksena, animation, A-)
DIFFERENT (กานต์ นาคเสนา)

FREE HUG, FUCK YOU (Prempapan Plittpolkranpim, A-)
FREE HUG, FUCK YOU (เปรมปพันธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)

HAPPY BIRTH DAY (Narong Seprakone, B+)
HAPPY BIRTH DAY (ณรงค์ เสประโคน)

HANUMAN (Sarawich Hattasumrit, animation, B+)
HANUMAN (สารวิช หัตถสัมฤทธิ์)

DRACONIC (Narin Bunreung, animation, B+)
DRACONIC (นรินทร์ บุญเรือง)

Friday, July 02, 2010

ME IN MATICHON WEEKLY

Konmongnang wrote about me in Matichon Weekly, Vol. 30, Issue 1559, 2-8 July, 2010. I feel so honored.



30 (Tossapol Boonsinsukh, A+++++++++++++++)

FILMS SEEN LATELY

30 (Tossapol Boonsinsukh, A+++++++++++++++)
My comment on 30 in Thai:
http://vimeo.com/13014386

A NEANGLY FAIRYTALE (BREAKDOWN: SIDE STORY) (Nattaphan Boonlert, A+++++)

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF PIPPA LEE (2009, Rebecca Miller, A+++++)

THREE WISHES (Songpol Hompana, A+)
3พร (ทรงพล หอมพนา)

? (Rat Sa-ardying, A+)
? (รัฐ สะอาดยิ่ง)

WINTA, YOU MAKE PONG ANGRY AT ME (2009, Tarnanun, A+)
Thanks to Graiwoot for telling us about it. I think this clip is a parody on a Thai TV series called GASANAKA.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXTVhysLQkc

95110 (Taweewit Kitthanasoonthorn, A+)
95110 (ทวีวิทย์ กิจธนสุนทร)

BANANA (Krittapas Dechjeanmuang, animation, A+)
BANANA (กฤตภาส เดชจีนเมือง)

540 SECONDS (Ormchai Bussabong, A+)
540 วินาที (อ้อมใจ บุษบง, A+)

AGAIN (Wongsakorn Choatgamol, A+)
AGAIN (วงศกร โชติกมล)

ARTTT* (Phongsakan Sonklin, A+)

CENSORED (Kong Pahurak, A+/A)
CENSORED (ก้อง พาหุรักษ์)

BEBE (Watcharapol Saisongkrore, A)
BEBE (วัชรพล สายสงเคราะห์, A)

BLENDED SWEET (Wanweaw Hongwiwat + Weawwan Hongwiwat, A-)
I think the film is good and achieve its goal. I give it A- just because I'm a single person who always feel bad when I see "a really happy couple". I envy the bride in this film very much.

29 (Junya Jitsattha, A-)
29 (จรรยา จิตศรัทธา)

BUTTERFLY (Chaloemporn Paprach, B+)
BUTTERFLY (เฉลิมพร ภาปราชญ์, B+)

BYE NIOR (Ormchai Bussabong, B)
BYE NIOR เสียงของเธออยู่ในความทรงจำ

Thursday, July 01, 2010

FAVORITE ESSAY FILMS

A friend asked me to recommend some essay films. I'm not sure what essay films are, but I decided to make a list of these favorite films. Some of them are essay films. Some of them are fiction films of which some parts are like essay films. Some of them are just strange documentaries.

1.BRUTALITY IN STONE (1961, Alexander Kluge + Peter Schamoni, West Germany)
http://www.ubu.com/film/kluge.html
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053679/

2.BUD-DHA-KALA (2005, Thanapol Virulhakul, Thailand)

3.BUNTOC EULOGY (1995, Marlon Fuentes, Philippines)

4.CINEMA DREAM, TOKYO DREAM (1995, Kiju Yoshida, Japan)

5.COLOURS ON THE STREETS (2009, Weerapong Wimuktalop, Thailand, 62 min)

6.DAGUERRÉOTYPES (1976, Agnès Varda, France)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071384/

7.DANGER (DIRECTOR'S CUT) (2008, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Thailand)

8.DHAMMA (เย...ธัมมา...) (2002, Watthana Rujirojsakul, 22 min)

9.DIAL H-I-S-T-O-R-Y (1998, Johan Grimonprez)
http://www.ubu.com/film/grimonprez_dial.html

10.DIRTY PICTURES (2007, John Smith, Israel/UK)

11.DREAMWATCH FOR ANYONE WHO IS BELIEVED TO VIOLATE GOOD MORALITY (งานเฝ้าระวังความฝันของบุคคลที่น่าเชื่อว่าฝักใฝ่การทำลายศีลธรรมอันดีของประชาชน) (2007, Manussak Dokmai, Thailand)

12.FROM THE EAST (1993, Chantal Akerman, Belgium)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106642/

13.FROM THE JOURNALS OF JEAN SEBERG (1995, Mark Rappaport, USA)

14.GHOSTS (2005, Anocha Suwichakornpong, Thailand)

15.THE HALFMOON FILES (2007, Philip Scheffner, Germany)

16.ID SWISS: EPISODE "MIXED UP" (1999, Nadia Farès, Switzerland)

17.IMAGES OF THE ABSENCE (1998, German Kral, Argentina)

18.THE INVISIBLE FRAME (2009, Cynthia Beatt, Germany)

19.ISLE OF FLOWERS (1990, Jorge Furtado, Brazil)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4stjz_ilha-das-flores-sub-eng_news

20.JLG/JLG (1994, Jean-Luc Godard, France)

21.JUST A SECOND: THE KHONG LEGEND (2003, Santiphap Inkong-ngam, Thailand)

22.LAND OF SILENCE AND DARKNESS (1972, Werner Herzog, West Germany)

23.LAND WITHOUT BREAD (1937, Luis Buñuel, Spain)

24.THE LAST BOLSHEVIK (1993, Chris Marker, France)

25.LETTER TO A CHILD (2008, Vlado Skafar, Slovenia)

26.LISTENER'S TALE (2007, Arghya Basu, India)

27.LOCOMOTION IN WATER (2005, Hanna Shell, USA)
http://web.mit.edu/~hrshell/www/experimentsonfilm/essay.html

28.LOGIC: MADAME GUMJAI CAUSES GLOBAL WARMING (2009, Chalida Uabumrungjit, Thailand)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_uQwq87gCM

29.LONDON (1994, Patrick Keillor, UK)

30.LUCEBERT, TIME AND FAREWELL (1994, Johan van der Keuken, Netherlands)

31.MADAME WATER (1993, Jean Rouch, France/Netherlands)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107476/

32.THE MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA (1929, Dziga Vertov, USSR)

33.MY WHITE BABY (2008, Akosua Adoma Owusu, Ghana)
http://blog.mtviggy.com/2010/04/19/movie-review-my-white-baby/

34.MY WINNIPEGE (2007, Guy Maddin, Canada)

35.NATIONAL ANTHEM (เพลงชาติไทย) (2008, Chai Chaiyachit, Thailand, 22 min)

36.NIGHT AND FOG (1955, Alain Resnais, France)

37.NOTES FOR AN AFRICAN ORESTES (1970, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italy)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066163/

38.NOW LET US PRAISE AMERICAN LEFTISTS (2000, Paul Chan, USA)
You can watch other films by Paul Chan here:
http://www.ubu.com/film/chan.html

39.1/3 OF THE EYES (2004, Olivier Zabat, France)

40.OPPORTUNITIES (2005, Nitipong Thinthupthai, Thailand)

41.ORCHESTRA (2008, Jakrawal Nilthamrong, Thailand)

42.OWN (2009, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, Thailand)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kUq0wD6M0A

43.PALMS (1993, Artur Aristakisyan, Russia)

44.PERFUMED NIGHTMARE (1977, Kidlat Tahimik, Philippines)

45.RECONSIDERING "THE NEW INDUSTRIAL PARKS NEAR IRVINE, CALIFORNIA" BY LEWIS BALTZ, 1974 (2009, Mario Pfeiffer, USA)

46.SHERMAN'S MARCH (1985, Ross McElwee, USA)

47.SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE (1973, Guy Debord, France)
http://www.ubu.com/film/debord_spectacle.html

48.SOMETHING MORE THAN NIGHT (2003, Daniel Eisenberg, USA)

49.TO INFINITY AND BEYOND (ลอยฟ้า) (2004, Sompot Chidgasornpongse, Thailand 10 min)

50.TRAIN OF SHADOWS (1996, José Luis Guerin, Spain)

51.24 CITY (2008, Jia Zhangke, China)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103963/plotsummary

52.TWO WORLDS IN ONE WORLD (ทวิภพในเอกภพ) (2004, Prap Boonpan, Thailand, 18 min)

53.VIDEOGRAMS OF A REVOLUTION (1992, Harun Farocki + Andrei Ujica, Romania/Germany)

54.VILLAGE PEOPLE RADIO SHOW (2007, Amir Muhammad, Malaysia)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0949861/

55.A VIRUS IN THE CITY (2008, Cedric Venail, France)

56.WE (1969, Artavazd Peleshian, USSR)
http://www.virtual-circuit.org/art_cinema/Pelechian/Pelechian/we.html

57.THE WET SEASON (2008, Brigid McCaffrey + Ben Russell, Suriname)

58.YEARS WHEN I WAS A CHILD OUTSIDE (2008, John Torres, Philippines)


--------------------------------------

ESSAY FILM WISH LIST

Some films below can be watched online, but I haven't had time to watch them yet.

I got to know most of these films via the article ESSAY QUESTIONS by Paul Arthur in Film Comment magazine, Jan/Feb 2003.

1.BEIRUT OUTTAKES (2007, Peggy Ahwesh, Lebanon)
http://www.ubu.com/film/ahwesh_beirut.html

2.THE BRIDGE (1928, Joris Ivens, Netherlands)
http://www.ubu.com/film/ivens_bridge.html

3.THE BODY BEAUTIFUL (1991, Ngozi Onwurah, UK)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0180563/

4.FAR FROM POLAND (1984, Jill Godmilow, USA, 106 min)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162318/

5.FRANCE/TOUR/DETOUR/DEUX/ENFANTS (1977, Jean-Luc Godard + Anne-Marie Miéville, France)
http://www.ubu.com/film/godard_mielville.html

6.JOURNEYS FROM BERLIN (1980, Yvonne Rainer)
http://www.ubu.com/film/rainer_journeys.html

7.SHOOT FOR THE CONTENTS (1991, Trinh T. Minh-ha, USA)
http://www.ubu.com/film/minh_shoot.html

8.SONATA FOR HITLER (1979, Alexander Sokurov, USSR)
http://www.ubu.com/film/sokurov_sonata.html

9.SONIC OUTLAWS (1995, Craig Baldwin, USA)
http://www.ubu.com/film/baldwin_sonic.html

10.VITAL STATISTICS OF A CITIZEN, SIMPLY OBTAINED (1977, Martha Rosler)
http://www.ubu.com/film/rosler_vital.html

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (2010, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, A++++++++++)

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES (2010, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, A++++++++++)

RAAJNEETI (2010, Prakash Jha, A++++++++++)

OLD TIMES (2010, Atree Wanichtrakool, stage play, A++++++++++)

AGAINST IMPUNITY (2010, Azucena Rodriguez, A++++++++++)

BEHIND THE SEAWALL (2010, Pattarakorn Werasakwong, A+++++)

FOR A NIGHT OF LOVE (2009, Gérard Jourd'hui, A+)

THE LITTLE OLD MAN FROM BATIGNOLLES (2009, Claude Chabrol, A+)

TIME/GAMBLING/RAVANA/TRUCKS (2010, Piyawat Pitiolarnpattanachoke, A+)

THE PARALLEL AGE (2010, Thapa Kijrujipark, A+)

WATERMELON: THE MESSENGER OF LOVE (สื่อรักแตงโม) (2010, Nopakiat Kaewsri-ngarm, A+/A)

THE END OF THE ROAD AT BANGCARE (สุดทางที่บางแคร์) (2010, Parnrut Kritchanchai, stage play, A)

TAKIEN: THE HAUNTED TREE (2010, Saiyon Srisawat, A)

KUBRICK VS SCORSESE (2010, Leandro Copperfield, A-)

KEEP DREAMING (เพียรฝัน) (2010, Piyanuch Asawapongchai, A-)

RAIN FROM THE SKY (ฝนจากฟ้า) (2010, Supawich Hongsapiwat, B+)

Thanks to Graiwoot for recommending AGAINST IMPUNITY.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kI0EJk7eY5s

Thanks to John for recommending KUBRICK VS SCORSESE
http://vimeo.com/12432238

A photo from TAKIEN: THE HAUNTED TREE: