FAVOURITE THAI EXPERIMENTAL FILMS OF 2011

A friend asked me about some recent Thai experimental films, so here is my answer to him:

1.NAKORN ASAJARN TRILOGY: COLLAPSE (2011, Wachara Kanha, 26 min)
NAKORN ASAJARN TRILOGY: MIGHT (2011, Wachara Kanha, 30 min)
NAKORN ASAJARN TRILOGY: NIGHTMARE (2011, Wachara Kanha, 30 min)
This trilogy is composed of many scenes of Bangkok. An extremely atmospheric film. The second part of the trilogy features a 30-minute monologue of a lawyer talking about the injustice from which the red shirt protesters in Thailand suffer.

2.WHY DO YOU JUMP? (2011, Korn Kanogkekarin, 19 min)
A queer film featuring strange scenes which are seemingly unconnected to one another. It includes a scene of Korn nakedly dancing in his room, a scene of Korn throwing his hair into the air repeatedly for approximately 30 times, and a digitally-effected scene of Korn's body divided in half, which makes him look like a statue of a pagan goddess.

3.GAZE AND HEAR (2010, Nontawat Numbenchapol, 10 min)
I wrote about this film here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/11/thai-films-seen-on-saturday-july-30.html


4.EMPLOYEES LEAVING THE LUMIÈRE FACTORY (2010, Chaloemkiat Saeyong, 31 min)
I wrote about this film here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/04/chaloemkiat-saeyongs-retrospective-this.html


5.HOME COMPUTER (2011, Teeranit Siangsanoh, 19 min)
This film is composed of various still images and sound found in a computer. What I like the most in this film is how the various sound and noises are combined, and it results in one of the strangest soundtracks I have ever heard of in my whole life. I also like the scene in which we see the images of Khattiya Sawasdipol, while we hear the song CIVILIZATION ZONE by Thanes Warakulnukroh. It is arguably one of best ironic scenes of the year 2011.

6.THE FESTIVAL OF DEMON SPIRIT (2011, Sittiporn Racha, 2 min)
I wrote about this film here:
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/01/festival-of-demon-spirit-2011-sittiporn.html


7.RATCHAPRASONG (2011, Nok Paksnavin)
The film is about the massacre of the red shirt protesters in Bangkok in May 19, 2010, and it deals with this tragedy by showing us some enigmatic scenes, and then it shows us a black screen, while we hear the very loud sound of gunshots for about 90-100 times.

8.PASSING THROUGH THE NIGHT (2011, Wattanapume Laisuwanchai, 13 min)
I think this film should be screened together with THE LONG DAY CLOSES (1992, Terence Davies), because both films deal with the memories of the directors about their own families, and both films present these memories in an extremely poetic and beautiful way.

9.IMPERIAL EARTHS (2011, Phatthi Buntuwanit, 15 min)
One of the most visually gorgeous Thai film made in 2011. The film reinterprets some parts of Buddhist teachings/legends. The content of the film is not as interesting as its visual elements. The production designs/set decorations in this film is as beautiful and powerful as the ones in EDEN AND AFTER (1970, Alain Robbe-Grillet) or PROSPERO'S BOOKS (1991, Peter Greenaway).

10.SPIDER (2011, Tossapol Boonsinsukh)
A woman is having trouble with some mysterious water leaking out of the wall of her house. A plumber can't help her because he doesn't know where this water comes from. The first part of this film reminds me of some cute feelings found in Miranda July's films. However, the second half of SPIDER reminds me of Marguerite Duras' films, because we see some characters, whom we are not sure if they represent humans, or animals, or both, or whatever, circle around one another in a townhouse in an extremely slow manner.

The photo is from NAKORN ASAJARN TRILOGY: NIGHTMARE.