Limitless Cinema

A LITTLE TRANSVESTITE AND HIS STACK OF HAY

2012-02-01T13:54:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qznViVS13gU

FAVOURITE THAI EXPERIMENTAL FILMS OF 2011

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000+07:00

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.

SOUTH EAST ASIAN FILM WISH LIST

2012-02-01T10:35:00.001+07:00

I made this list for Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa.

1.BELKIBOLANG (2011, Edwin Ifa Isfansyah, Azhar Lubis, Rico Marpuang, Wisnu Surya Pratama, Anggun Priambodo, Sidi Saleh, Agung Sentausa, Tumpal Tampubolon, Indonesia, 87 min)

2. THE BLOOD TRAIL (2009, Jerrold Tarog, Philippines)

3.BRIDAL QUARTER (2010, Teng Mangansakan, Philippines)

4.BUENAS NOCHES, ESPAÑA (2011, Raya Martin, Philippines)

5.CENTURY OF BIRTHING (2011, Lav Diaz, Philippines)

6.THE DANCER (2011, Ifa Isfansyah, Indonesia, 112 min)

7.DONOR (2010, Mark Meily, Philippines)

8.THE DREAM OF ELEUTERIA (2010, Remton Zuasola, Philippines)

9.ECLIPSES (2011, Daniel Hui, Singapore)

10.EVENING SKY (LANGIT PETANG) (1982, Shahrom Md. Dom, Malaysia)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L4kpJT4hF_k

11.EVIL PORTENT (LANCHANG KUNING) (1962, M. Amin, Malaysia)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF8ny-uwb-I

12.HANG JEBAT (1961, Hussain Haniff, Malaysia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ1-GC8Lq1s

13.HERE COMES THE BRIDE (2010, Chris Martinez, Philippines)

14.KANO: AN AMERICAN AND HIS HAREM (2010, Monster Jimenez, Philippines)

15.LOVE FROM SALMAH (1995, Mahadi J. Murat, Malaysia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXqG33-xws8

16.LUPANG HINARANG (2009, Ditso Carolino, Philippines)

17.MANILA SKIES (2010, Raymond Red, Philippines)

18.MECHANIC (1983, Othman Hafsham, Malaysia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxoIFk0_aSs

19.THE MIRROR NEVER LIES (2011, Kamila Andini, Indonesia, 100 min)

20.MONDOMANILA (2010, Khavn de la Cruz, Philippines)

21.MY AMNESIA GIRL (2010, Cathy Garcia-Molina, Philippines)

22.PINK HALO-HALO (2010, Joselito Altarejos, Philippines)

23.REFRAINS HAPPEN LIKE REVOLUTIONS IN A SONG (2010, John Torres, Philippines)

24.RPG METANOIA (2010, Luis Suarez, Philippines, animation)

25.SA’YO LAMANG (2010, Laurice Guillen, Philippines)

26.SENIOR YEAR (2010, Jerrold Tarog, Philippines)

27.SHEIKA (2010, Arnel Mardoquio, Philippines)

28.SON OF GOD (2010, Khavn de la Cruz + Michael Noer, Philippines)

29.SRI MERSING (1961, Salleh Ghani, Malaysia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cpo97P-MsNI

30.THE TIGER FACTORY (2010, Woo Ming Jin, Malaysia, 84 min)

31.THE TRIAL OF ANDRES BONIFACIO (2010, Mario O’Hara, Philippines)

32.UNDER THE TREE'S SHADOW (2011, Doan Tran Anh Tuan and the Colory Group, Vietnam, animation)

33.VOX POPULI (2010, Dennis Marasigan, Philippines)

34.WAYS OF THE SEA (HALAW) (2010, Sheron R. Dayoc, Philippines)

35.WINDBLOWN (2011, Regiben Romana, Philippines, 123 min)

36.WOMAN, WIFE & WHORE (1991, U-Wei Shaari, Malaysia)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tr3SCVE699c

The photo comes from HERE COMES THE BRIDE.

TWENTY YOUNG INDEPENDENT THAI DIRECTORS

2012-01-26T09:29:00.000+07:00

The article below was first published two years ago in Indian Auteur website.

Twenty Young Independent Thai directors:
(in alphabetical order)

1.Alwa Ritsila

Alwa Ritsila and Komvish Zally shocked many audience in 2008 with their Mofo Life Size Doll (2007, 25 min), an unrelentingly brutal film using dolls as characters. The main character of this film rapes, tortures, kills, and crucifies other characters. This kind of extreme brutality can also be found in other films directed or co-directed by Alwa. Though the cruel stories in his films make some people want to look away from the screen, other people feel drawn to the beauty of the cinematography and the perfect use of the soundtrack in his films. Another interesting work of his is The Witch (2009, 29 min), which he co-directed with Phatamon Chitarachinda. In this film Alwa played all the three main characters by himself—the masturbating father, the virgin daughter, and a witch who loves drinking the blood of a virgin. It ranks as one of the most brutal films I have ever seen, but I can't deny its cinematic power. Alwa is the dark lord of Thai cinema. Some of his films can be watched at: http://www.youtube.com/user/madmadmaniv

2.Arpapun Plungsirisoontorn

Arpapun made Repeating Dramatic (2008, 8 min), which is one of the best Thai political films in 2008. In this film, an extremely melodramatic scene from a soap opera is replayed for numerous times. The colors of the scene are increasingly fading each time the scene is replayed, until what remains on the screen looks like moving mass of ugly colors. The audience also hears a radio report of political news during the same time. This film reminds me of the sad political history of Thailand, in which military coups have been staged frequently, even in 2006. The country has always been stuck in a vicious circle, like a melodramatic scene which is forever repeated and unable to move forward. Arpapun also made Fairy Feminine (2009, 29 min), which tells a twisted fairy tale about a relationship between a mother and a daughter. The mother looks like an angel, a witch, and a lesbian rolled into one. The prince in this film performs the role of a seducer instead of a rescuer-hero. And the seven dwarfs in this film look like a gang of rapists. Maybe this is a perfect fairy tale for children in our postmodern time.

3.Attapon Pamakho (born 1985)

Attapon made Hasan (2008, 29 min), which is one of the most touching gay films I have ever seen. It deals with a married Muslim man who has an affair with his wife's brother. The story is very daring compared with most Thai films, and the cinematography is gorgeous. Hasan is successful in expressing the inner torment of the husband, the role of which is excellently played by Supasawasdi Buranawate. It reminds me of the power of another great gay film—Priest (1994, Antonia Bird). Attapon also co-directed Seaport (2006, 22 min) with Benya Poowarachnan. This documentary deals with immigrants from Myanmar who are living with difficulty in a province in Thailand, and the racial prejudice of Thai people. Seaport shares one thing with Hasan--the use of music in both films' ending scenes brings tears to my eyes.

Hasan (2008, Attapon Pamakho)
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4. Chaiwat Wiansantia

Chaiwat Wiansantia made Fragrance of the Wind (2007, 26 min), and Wake Up Time (2009, 10 min), both of which are like semi-experimental, semi-documentary films. They seem to tell no obvious stories, and focus on landscapes. I think the story of Fragrance of the Wind is about a person who is bored with living and working in a big city and decides to go visiting his rural hometown for a while. The film can capture the rural landscape, or the soul of the rural landscape, very well. It seems to be able to transport the pleasant atmosphere of the rural areas into the screening room miraculously. I felt as if there was a magical wind blowing in the screening room while the film was shown. I felt as if I could smell the damp earth soaked with rainwater while I was watching the film. Wake Up Time portrays a group of people who go to a seaside. The film lets us see their seemingly insignificant activities—walking, talking, painting—and interspersed them with seemingly unconnected scenes, such as scenes of a neon lamp going on and off, or scenes of a taxi. The "seemingly-illogical" editing helps create some magical feelings and makes this film very much different from a mere home video. You can watch some of Chaiwat's films at this Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jas0146012

5.Chaloemkiat Saeyong

Chaloemkiat Saeyong's masterpiece is Politically Lawyer and Narrative Cinema (2009, 27 min), which plays with many elements of cinema. The film tells a fictional story about a murder in an airport and uses this murder to remind the viewers of the real case of Somchai Neelaphaijit, a Thai political lawyer who disappeared in 2004. Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa, a Thai film critic, makes an interesting observation that the film seems to both tell a story and destroy its story at the same time. The film is extremely self-reflexive and has numerous weird things in it. For example, both the English title and the Thai title of this film are "intentionally" grammatically wrong. The film shows us a lecture room or a corridor in a building, while a text appearing on the screen says that the audience must imagine that what they see is an airport. The film reminds me of some weird and wonderful films by Jean-Luc Godard. Chaloemkiat also made Peru Time (2008, 18 min), which lets us watch a sunset for 18 minutes while some unreadable texts keep appearing on the screen. Wiwat compares this film to the opening scene of India Song (1974, Marguerite Duras). Chaloemkiat also made A Place of Different Air (2008, 24 min), in which the images appearing on the screen change their sizes from time to time. This semi-documentary, semi-experimental film is about a family who has just moved to a new place, and the different image sizes seem to emphasize the contrast between the old place and the new place.

Politically Lawyer and Narrative Cinema (2009, Chaloemkiat Saeyong)
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6.Chawit Waewsawangwong

Chawit Waewsawangwong made Fireflies (2005, 4 min), which presents beauty neon lights in Bangkok, while an electronic dance song is played. The editing of this film corresponds perfectly with the song rhythm, and it can be considered one of the most beautiful dance music videos ever made. I also like it very much that the film seems to celebrate neon lights and night life in Bangkok, instead of doing what some other Thai films and some other Thai artists do—trying to portray Bangkok as a one-sided place of evil and ugliness and looking down on night life. I consider this film as possibly one of the three most beautiful films about Bangkok. The other two are Rough Night (2001, Samart Imkham, 22 min) and Bangkok at 21:42 hrs (2001, Thanes Maneejak, 3 min). Chawit also made some good animations, such as Enough (2007, 3 min) and Continue (2005, 2 min). I also love Hate (2004, 2 min), in which we see someone intending to kill someone, but the film minimally and effectively tells its story by letting us see only the tip of a cutter moving closer to its victim.

7.Chulayarnnon Siriphol (born 1986)

Chulayarnnon made Hualampong (2004, 12 min) when he was a high-school student. This film observes an old man who frequently came to a railway station to take photos. There is nothing dramatic happening during the whole film. The film observes this man very patiently. This film drastically changed the attitude people had had towards Thai high-school students-filmmakers. Before this film, we used to think that high-school students only made funny films. After this film, we know we can never underestimate these teenagers any more. Chulayarnnon's masterpiece is Danger (Director's Cut) (2008, 14 min), which tells a story about a murder in an apartment building. What makes this film extraordinary is that the script of this film and some harsh comments on this film are also inserted into the film. We see texts from the script and texts commenting on the film appearing on the screen from time to time. This film is originally made as a thesis in a university. The harsh comments were made by a teacher. When we watch this film, we don't only see a murder story, but we also learn about its narrative structure and the bias against this film. I have never seen a film as self-reflexive as this before. An instant classic!

8.Janenarong Sirimaha (born 1987)

Janenarong made I Scream (2008, 21 min), which is a very entertaining horror-thriller film, though the film is as good as many good films in its genre. It doesn't transcend its genre. However, Read Me! (2008, 17 min) proves that Janenarong is a talent to watch. This film, which is about a female university student who can read other people's minds, is hard to categorize. It is extremely entertaining and can please general audience as much as a good mainstream film, but it is very different from most Thai genre films or most Thai mainstream films because it doesn't let itself be bound by the rules of any genres. It keeps on surprising the audience until the end. Janenarong also made Ying and Wan (2008, 7 min), a very funny film in which an actor played five characters. This low-budget film proves that creativity, not money, is the best thing you can rely on when making a film, no matter whether the film is a pure entertainment or a work of art. You can watch Janenarong's film at http://www.youtube.com/user/shuckwow .

9.Napat Treepalawisetkun (born 1990)

Napat likes John Waters and Michael Haneke, and this fact is obviously shown in his films. Nene, who gives maddeningly fierce, wild, raw, and extremely memorable performances in many of Napat's cult films, is his own Divine. A Series of Salinee Event (2007, 14 min), which was made while Napat was still a high-school student, tells the story of a woman (Nene) who hires a killer to kill someone, which turns out to be Salinee herself. This film made Napat stand out from other Thai teenage filmmakers, because the film has a very complicated narrative structure, and the extreme violence in this film is shown in a serious mode, while most films made by Thai teenagers show violence in a playful, funny mode. I Will Rape You with This Scissors (2008, 13 min), which stars Nene as a demented mother who may or may not kill her own daughter, also has a perplexing narrative structure. It even has a deeper layer of meaning. This cult film is actually a satire on the censorship of Syndromes and a Century (2006, Apichatpong Weerasethakul). While most of Napat's earlier films may show the influences of John Waters, the influences from Haneke become obvious in Seduction Lullaby (2009, 23 min), a feel-bad film which tells a story about rapes and guilt. The characters in this film don't expressively show their feelings as in Napat's earlier films. They carry enormous pain inside. Napat also made It's Hard to Say How I Love You, Captain Hook (2009, 10 min), which tells a story of a mother who patiently takes care of her disabled son. The film is very interesting because it doesn't seem to belong to any obvious genres. It is not a feel-bad, a comedy, a black comedy, a satire, or a tear-jerking drama. It is just itself. It also indicates that Napat's directing styles may evolve very fast.

Seduction Lullaby (2009, Napat Treepalawisetkun)
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It's Hard to Say How I Love You, Captain Hook (2009, Napat Treepalawisetkun)
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10.Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit (born 1984)

Nawapol works both independently and for studios. He became famous for See (2006, 9 min), which observes his own father while he is making fried rice, eating, and watching TV. The film also has what would later turns out to be Nawapol's signature styles, namely static camera, long take, and long shot. Though Nawapol uses some arthouse styles in his films, his films are very different from many arthouse films because there is a Nawapol's brand of humor in his films. I don't know how to define his kind of humor. I think I should just give some examples. The story of Giraffe (2007, 3 min) takes place when the world is about to end after 300 Malaysian giraffes died. Two people want to listen to a song before the world ends, but the song they end up listening to is So Dem a Com by E-Type. In his documentary Shit Happens (2003, 52 min), Nawapol talks about the problems his family has with dog excrement in front of his house. He didn't only interview his own family and neighbors, but also interviewed a lawyer about how to deal legally with this problem. I find this kind of things very funny, but this kind of humor is not often found in films made by other people. Another example of this can be found in Mr. Mee Wanna Go to Egypt (2009, 20 min), which is actually made for a no-smoking campaign, but the film presents a child character who keeps saying, "Let's smoke," for numerous times. Nawapol also proves that he is able to make serious films. Francais (2009, 30 min) effectively portrays many problems a blind university student faces while studying, and Nawapol's signature styles help very much in preventing this film from becoming a tear-jerking melodrama.

Mr. Mee Wanna Go to Egypt (2009, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit)
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Francais (2009, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit)
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11.Prap Boonpan (born 1981)

Prap Boonpan, whom I consider a leader of Thai political films, impressed me a lot with his Two Worlds in One World (2004, 18 min), which deals with the problems of the film The Siam Renaissance (2004, Surapong Pinijkhar), which may or may not present Thai historical facts, and may also present some wrong attitudes. Prap presents the problems of that film and his arguments very straightforwardly. He makes the characters in Two Worlds in One World talk about these problems and he uses his camera to focus on some historical textbooks in extreme close up, so that the viewers can read what is written on the textbooks. I like this kind of technique very much. It reminds me of some foreign essayistic films or some films by Jean-Luc Godard, but I had never found this kind of argumentative techniques employed in Thai films before. Prap uses this technique again in Letter from the Silence (2006, 5 min), in which he uses a camera to focus on a letter written by a Thai taxi driver who heroically committed suicide to protest the military coup in 2006. I had read this powerful letter before I saw this film. I liked the content of the letter very much, but it didn't have a strong effect on my feelings when I read it on a website. However, when the letter is presented in this film, the power of its words seems to increase exponentially and unexplainably, and this time the letter can make me cry. Maybe the film lends an "aura" to the letter. This technique is used again, but by a younger director, in a film called Women in Democracy (2009, Atthawut Boonyuang, 6 min), which is one of the best Thai films this year. This fact seems to indicate that Prap may have some influences on younger directors. Prap's masterpiece is The Bangkok Bourgeois Party (2007, 28 min), which condemns many bourgeois people who support the military coup. It contains an instant classic scene—a three-to-five minute blackout scene in which the viewers see nothing and hear nothing. This scene comes after the bourgeois characters kill a character who thinks differently. Though many films by Prap contain a lot of dialogues or texts, there are some films in which he turns to use some symbols, instead of texts or dialogues, to convey his messages. This group of films includes Culture and Nature (2008, 3 min) and the latter part of The White Short Film/The Candle Light (2009, 20 min), which earns him the R.D. Pestonji award. This award-winning film consists of two parts. In the first part, we see a man and a woman reading a script about the political situation in Thailand in late 2008 and early 2009. In the second part, we see a man watching a candle in a TV. This film, together with Culture and Nature, makes me contemplate about the future of Thailand. I think in the future if someone wants to write a book about Thai political films, Prap Boonpan is one of the names which must be included in that book.

Culture and Nature (2008, Prap Boonpan)
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The White Short Film/The Candlelight (2009, Prap Boonpan)
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12.Prateep Suthathongthai (born 1980)

Prateep is an artist who makes photos, videos and video installations. He cleverly explores the themes of minorities and ethnicity in Thailand via his videos Where Are Thais From? (2007), and Explanation of the Word 'Thai' (2007, 2 min). In Explanation of the Word 'Thai', we see a Phu-Thai guy reading Thai history out loud by using his own local dialect, which makes his reading incomprehensible to many Thai viewers, especially Bangkokians. The video also presents some karaoke texts, so that the viewers can pronounce what the guy is saying, but still don't understand what the guy is saying. Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa observes that this video makes the viewers realize that Thailand is not composed of only Thai people, but composed of people from many ethnic groups who have diverse cultures. The viewers also realize that some groups of people are marginalized by Thai mainstream culture, and these minorities are not mentioned in the definition of the word Thai which they are reading. I also like Moving Cameras – October 27 (2009), which is a video installation of Prateep. This video installation, which is composed of four TV sets, shows us the views from a camera which is passed from one person to another person to another person, and so on. This video installation, which may be about some abstract ideas, unintentionally makes me realize that in order to see the whole thing or to understand a thing completely, we should watch it from various viewpoints, observe it from various angles, or maybe listen to people who think differently.

13.Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (born 1987)

I have seen only three films by Ratchapoom, but I'm sure this director, who is also an avid cinephile, will go very far. His films include Unpronoucable in the Linguistic Imperialism of Yours (2008, 3 min), which is a mockumentary about a Thai female artist who opens her house to let people come in and watch her masturbating. This film makes the viewers realize that we rarely see a heroine expressing some sexual satisfaction in Thai films or Thai TV series. We more often see Thai villainesses expressing this kind of feelings. This film touches on some taboos in Thai media which we may not have noticed before. Ratchapoom tackles taboo subjects again in Mermaid Wearing Pants (2009, 7 min), which is composed of found footage from many banned films, including Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975, Pier Paolo Pasolini). This film also reminds us of some political taboos in Thailand. Ratchapoom's masterpiece is Bodily Fluid Is So Revolutionary (2009, 41 min), which tells a story of a gay couple who encounter a serious relationship problem when one of them becomes allergic to any bodily fluid coming out of his lover. The allergic one seeks help from a female doctor, who eagerly volunteers to have sex with her own patient, while his lover resorts to masturbation. What makes this film special is its self-reflexiveness. The images in this film are strangely disrupted from time to time, as if the film is shown via a scratched or damaged DVD, but the characters also realize that they exist in a scratched DVD and try to escape from it. Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa observes that this film does not only tackle some sexual taboos, but is also about the relationship between film viewers who become allergic to arthouse films, critics who provide the cure, and filmmakers who are accused of masturbating themselves by making incomprehensible films.

Bodily Fluid Is So Revolutionary (2009, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke)
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14.Sompot Chidgasornpongse (born 1980)

Sompot's first film is AUAD DEE (2003, 10 min), which impresses me a lot because it is like an essay. In this film we see a young man, who is supposed to be a representative of a certain group of Thai teenagers, expressing his opinions on many social trends for nearly 10 minutes. But in the end we hear the voice of a narrator expressing some scorn on this man. I think Sompot made this film in order to express his opinions on other people's opinions, and he succeeded. His method may be easy, but I like its straightforwardness and its difference from most Thai films. Sompot made another essay film called Diseases and a Hundred Year Period (2008, 20 min), which talks about the censorship of Syndromes and a Century. He also made some atmospheric films, including Bangkok in the Evening (2005, 16 min), Andaman (2005, 16 min), 8,241.46 Miles Away From Home (2006, 6 min), and Landscape 101 01 1101 01 ... (2007, 28 min), all of which seem to present "landscape" as one of the main characters. All of them are documentary-like and very slow. In this group of films, I prefer Landscape 101 01 1101 01 ... the most. This film explores the landscape of a burnt forest very patiently. I love its extreme slowness and the fact that the images in this film become blurred from time to time. However, it is interesting that Sompot changes the rhythm of his films after that. Physical Therapy (2007, 1 min), which is about a woman running in a desert, and Yesterday (2008, 13 min), which is about the hectic lives of Thai students in USA, are fast-paced, and it indicates that Sompot is a director who may like to change his styles from film to film in order to fit the different themes of each film. I can't wait to see his thesis film Are WeThere Yet?.

(I want to note that Sompot used to be an assistant director of Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and many other people who used to work with Apichatpong have turned out to be great independent directors, too. These great directors include Nitipong Thinthupthai, Phaisit Phanphruksachat, Santiphap Inkong-ngam, Suchada Sirithanawuddhi, Supamok Silarak, and Teekhadet Vucharadhanin.)

Landscape 101 01 1101 01... (2007, Sompot Chidgasornpongse)
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Yesterday (2008, Sompot Chidgasornpongse)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2606/4173799498_c69ecd0e57_b.jpg

15.Supakit Seksuwan

What I love in many of Supakit's films is its free flowing and its incomprehensibility. Some of his films seem to defy logic and make the viewers ask, "What is happening?", "What does this scene mean?", "What does the whole film mean?", or "Why was this scene inserted into the film, because it makes no sense at all?" Having said that, I don't want you to misunderstand that Supakit's films are very arty. In fact, his films seem to be cheaply made, and observe no rules of film aesthetics. This quality turns out to be the reason why seeing his films is a very refreshing experience. His films are the opposite of many films made by film school students who strictly observe the rules of what good arthouse films should be. In I Open at the Close (2009, 12 min), Supakit lets us see many unimportant activities in a university. Most viewers don't understand what this film is trying to say. I don't either. But it is a pleasant experience to see a film which seems to be bound by no rules, except the feelings of the director. There's one scene I like very much in this film. It's the scene in which the camera stalks a young student for a long time. It stalks this student for no obvious reasons, and it stops stalking when the student seems to realize that he is being stalked. I also love Inside Out (2009, 21 min) and The Love (2007, 8 min), two documentaries of his. The first is about a group of rural children who talk about many trivial things. The second is about his grandparents. What I like in these two is the feeling that Supakit might not know what was going to happen in the next minute or the next second when he was shooting these documentaries. It seems as if Supakit just let the subjects of his documentaries express their true selves and enjoy themselves, instead of trying to control his subjects in order to make his documentary serve some purposes or convey some messages. My most favorite film of Supakit is Prognostic (2009, 8 min), in which we see a guy walking and doing some activities, while the images of these activities are manipulated in various ways, such as being turned upside down, being blurred, or being affected by some special computer effects. It's a real "experimental" film. You can watch some of Supakit's films in his Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/venerator

Inside Out (2009, Supakit Seksuwan)
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2656/4173799488_c8e4bb7c0e_o.jpg

16.Suphisara Kittikunarak

Suphisara made Thom (2009, 30 min) and Passion Sonata (2009, 13 min), both of which deal with sex in a very interesting way, or in a way I had never seen in Thai films before. I guess she can be called the Thai Catherine Breillat. Thom deals with a young woman whose husband just died. She decides to keep his corpse in her bedroom, becomes a prostitute, does some weird activities, flirts with a young boy, and shaves her head. Suphisara also plays the lead role in this film, and she did really have her own head shaved. That shows how devoted she is to her film. Passion Sonata deals with a young lesbian couple who sometimes have sex in a tennis court, and a gay couple who live nearby. One of the gay couple (played by Napat Treepalawisetkun) likes to play violin after making love. Trouble seems to happen when one of the lesbians tries very hard to rape one of the gays. Nearly all of these things in both of her films are presented in an objective tone. While most Thai filmmakers may try to present this kind of stories in a comedic tone or in a melodramatic tone, Suphisara tells her story in an objective tone, which reminds me of some Austrian films by Barbara Albert, Ulrich Seidl, or Michael Haneke.

17.Tanatchai Bandasak (born 1984)

I have seen five films by Tanatchai – Drift (2008, 3 min), Endless Rhyme (2008, 26 min), Lalita (2008, 5 min), Swamp (2008, 3 min), Sweetheart Garden (2009, 22 min) – and I don't think I understand them. I just know that they are very poetic and their beauty is beyond my ability to describe. Lalita may be the easiest film to be described. It is composed of found footage of two TV series starring Lalita Panyopas, a famous Thai actress in late 1980's and early 1990's. She stars in some melodramatic TV series, but the film 'Lalita' turns the found footage of these TV series into something very haunting. Some original TV scenes are slowed down, and some sound effects are added. It is as if Tanatchai had turned a found footage from Melrose Place and Beverly Hills, 90210 into Twin Peaks. I think Tanatchai is an expert in using sound. Drift presents us the drifting of one noise to another noise to another noise, and so on, while we see an image of a policeman gradually turning into some abstract images. Swamp lets us hear the voice of a radio DJ, while we see an image of an eye falling down into a swamp. My most favorite film of Tanatchai is Sweetheart Garden, which also has some haunting sound effects. In this film we see some unconnected gorgeous images, such as images of a dark corridor, a man watching TV, a porn theater, a wasteland with some historical images superimposed on it, a zoo in fog, the breast of a woman, etc, while images connected to train, such as images of a platform, a railway, or a tunnel, are interspersed between these unconnected images. The ultimate sublime feelings I have while seeing Sweetheart Garden reminds me of the experience of seeing Take the 5:10 to Dreamland (1977, Bruce Conner). Both Bruce Conner and Tanatchai Bandasak make films which defy explanation.

Sweetheart Garden (2009, Tanatchai Bandasak)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4173799490_9eb2b6e9a4_o.jpg

18.Tossapol Boonsinsukh (born 1982)

Tossapol, who is also a writer and a musician, has already made about 100 short films, and he also made two feature films – Afternoon Times (2005, 90 min), and Under the Blanket (2008), the latter of which is actually composed of a few short films strung together. I think I may have seen only 25 of his films. What I like the most in his films is its extremely atmospheric quality. An obvious example of this can be found in No One at the Sea (2005, 3 min), in which we only see an image of a seashore while hearing a piece of piano music. Tossapol is also great in using his feelings, emotions, and instinct in making films. This fact makes some of his films "incomprehensible" but "emotionally overwhelming". Some films of his are composed of unconnected scenes strung together, such as Don't Warm Egg in Microwave Or Else It Will Explode! (2005, 14 min), and Life Is Short 2 (2003-2006, 14 min). I don't understand the logic behind the juxtaposition of the scenes in these two films. All I know is that Don't Warm Egg in Microwave Or Else It Will Explode! makes me feel so happy after seeing it, while Life Is Short 2 makes me feel so melancholy and uplifting at the same time. What I also love in Tossapol's films is the feelings of loneliness, but the loneliness in his films is not the kind of loneliness found in Wong Kar-wai's or Tsai Ming-liang's films, but it is the kind of loneliness found in Jun Ichikawa's films. It is about people who are alone, but sometimes they are contented to be alone. An example of this can be found in She Is Reading Newspaper (2005, 8 min), in which three people in a cafe don't talk to each other, but they are perfectly happy like that. Tossapol's masterpiece is Afternoon Times, which deals with a restaurant owner who falls in love with a delivery boy, and gets extremely depressed after he disappeared. This film also contains one scene which might be one of the longest static takes in Thai film at that time. It is a scene in which the heroine closes down her restaurant, thinking that she may never find the delivery boy again. The static camera lets us watch her picking up a lot of drawings and various objects in the restaurant into boxes. The longer the film lets me watch her doing this, the stronger I feel an urge to cry. I guess this long static take lasts about 15 minutes. I had never seen a long take like this before in Thai cinema, except in Windows (1999, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 17 min). You can watch some of Tossapol's films in his Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/nangtoszlong

(I also want to note that nowadays many young independent Thai directors employ long static takes in their films/videos, though they are not influenced by Tossapol. Never Congregate Never Disregard (2007, Arin Rungjang, video installation) contains two scenes, each of which is a one-hour-long static take. You Have to Wait, Anyway (2007, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit, 22 min), Restart (2008, Patchara Eaimtrakul, 25 min), and Confront with the Truth (2009, Chanin Hanjaroen, 11 min) contain only one long static take for the whole duration of each of the films.)

Under the Blanket (2008, Tossapol Boonsinsukh)
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3097/2570773690_c1dfd61ba2_o.jpg

19.Tulapop Saenjaroen (born 1986)

Tulapop became famous in 2005 when his film Sad Scenery (19 min) won Vijitmatra award, though I haven't seen this film yet. The first time I was bowled over by his film is when I saw "___" (2006, 8 min), which contains some unconnected scenes strung together. In this strangely titled film, which I called the "underscore" film, we see images of some trees in the dark, someone washing his feet in the dark, children in a park, a cleaning lady doing her job, and some texts which run so fast that most viewers cannot read them completely. Our Waves (2006, 12 min) is also composed of unconnected scenes strung together. In the first half of the film, we see scenes of a group of friends doing many activities. In the latter half of the film, we see some waves in the water. These two films are very different from films by Tossapol and Tanatchai, though some of Tossapol's and Tanatchai's films are also made of unconnected scenes. While films of Tossapol touch my heart and my feelings, and while films of Tanatchai speak to my subconscious, these two films of Tulapop tease my brain. These two films remind me of some films by Arthur Lipsett and Alexander Kluge, which also contain unconnected scenes strung together and seem to appeal more to the intellect than to the feelings. Some of Tulapop's earlier films also appeal to the intellect, because they objectively experiment on many things. Vocal Instruction (2006) is an experiment on the contrast between text and voiceover. For example, when the viewers see the sentence "Read this" on the screen, the viewers hear the sentence "Do not read this" at the same time. Video Book (2007) shows us some random numbers, and teases us to find the connections between these numbers, though the connections may not exist. Water (2007) is an experiment on the changing forms of water. When the Movie Listens (2007, 11 min) stars Tulapop himself as an attentive listener. For the whole duration of this film, we see only the face of Tulapop who seems to be listening to anything the viewers talk about. "2008" (2008, 3 min) is a film composed of crazy ending credits. However, the other three films Tulapop made in 2008 seem to show more human feelings than before. The Return (2008, 5 min) talks about the memories of a son and a dead father. Tales of Swimming Pool (2008, 13 min) questions the meanings of life via three stories. The Eternal Light (2008) is an atmospheric film showing some beautiful abstract images and images of the sea under beautiful sunlight. I prefer The Eternal Light to many other films by Tulapop, partly because this film is not weighed down by concepts, ideas, or stories as other films of his. Maybe he has stepped on the right direction. I'm very eager to see his new film.

20.Yanin Pongsuwan (born 1985)

Yanin made The Spectrum (2006, 48 min), which is a documentary about the big band of Wat Ratchabopith school. The film shows us how hard the band's members tried in order to win in the annual competition for school big bands. My favorite scene is the one in which the coach got very angry with some behaviors of the band's members. He criticized them very harshly in front of the camera and seemed unafraid that this footage would be shown to the public. I felt as if I myself was criticized while I was watching this. I guess even Yanin herself might not have expected before that her documentary would have such a dramatic climax. Another thing I love in The Spectrum is how it portrays many gay teenagers in the band. The film shows how much these gays devoted themselves for the band, and show them as interesting human beings. This film offers a space for Thai gay teenagers, a space which they deserve, but don't often find, in Thai media. I think the true power of The Spectrum comes from the fact that Yanin found a way to get familar with or get close to the subjects of her film. Many footages in this film result from the trust the subjects have in the documentarian. Yanin made another great documentary called Home Video (2008, 14 min), which talks about her loving relationship with her mother and the fact that she may not have time to spend with her mother as much as before. The pace, the tone, the choice of footage, and the lyrical quality of this film made this film stand out from other Thai films in the same vein. This film touches everyone's heart.

(I want to note that many young and old independent Thai directors make films about their own families. The great ones include A Century of Love (2007, Chaloemrat Gaweewattana, 14 min), Ghosts (2005, Anocha Suwichakornpong, 35 min), Empire of Mind (2009, Nontawat Numbenchapol, 90 min), From Nachuak to Bangkok (2005, Siwadol Rathee, 83 min), Little Plant at the Old House (2007, Sasikan Suvanasuthi, 5 min), Love Actually (2008, Gun Sangkaew, 9 min), My Grandfather (2008, Pichet Smerchua, 45 min), Our Film (2005, Atthasit Somchob, 22 min), Sleeping Beauty (2006, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, 40 min), and Track 01 Take 30 (2008, Thakoon Khempunya, 17 min).)

The Spectrum (2006, Yanin Pongsuwan)
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4001/4173799492_b473e926b3_o.jp

My biography:

Jit Phokaew is a cinephile living in Bangkok. He once wrote for a Thai book called Filmvirus 3. His favorite film lists of the year 2001-2007 can be found at the website Senses of Cinema. He used to comment in IMDB.com (http://www.imdb.com/user/ur0426898/comments). Limitless Cinema (http://celinejulie.blogspot.com ) is his bilingual blog.

Films seen on Saturday, January 21, 2012

2012-01-22T08:43:00.000+07:00

1.WALKOVER (1965, Jerzy Skolimowski, Poland, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

2.A FORMAL FILM IN NINE EPISODES, PROLOGUE & EPILOGUE (2011, Mario Pfeifer, India/Germany, A+++++++++++++++)

3.HAIR (2010, Tayfun Pirselimoglu, Turkey, A++++++++++)

4.NO.89 SHIMEN ROAD (2010, Shu Haolun, China, A+)

5.PUSHED (2011, Florian Schneider, Germany, documentary, A+)

MY MOST FAVORITE FILMS OF 2011

2012-01-20T20:55:00.000+07:00

The list of my 120 most favorite films of 2011 can be found here:
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2012/feature-articles/2011-world-poll/#59

My favorite horror films of 2011
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2012/01/favorite-horror-horrorthriller-or.html

My favorite South East Asian films of 2011
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2012/01/favourite-southeast-asian-films-i-saw.html

I still haven't done the list of my most favorite films of 2010 yet. :-(

The photo is from NAKORN ASAJARN TRILOGY: MIGHT (2011, Wachara Kanha)

A POSTER WITH MY COMMENT

2012-01-20T20:32:00.000+07:00

Favorite Thai Songs 13: SECOND HAND -- Carrot

2012-01-15T07:01:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYWf1AMa7FQ&feature=share

จำได้ว่ามีมิวสิควิดีโออันนึงของสามสาวแครอทที่เลียนแบบ RHYTHM NATION ของเจเน็ต แจ็คสันด้วย แต่จำไม่ได้ว่าชื่อเพลงอะไร โดยในมิวสิควิดีโอนี้ สามสาวแครอทใส่ชุดทหารเต้นกันในโรงงาน และมีชายหนุ่มที่ดูเหมือนคนงานก่อสร้างแอบดูสามสาวนี้เต้นในโรงงาน

Favorite Thai songs 12: DON'T WANNA BE A TOOTHPICK -- Prisana Wongsiri

2012-01-15T07:00:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pldp6Er1teg&feature=share

Favorite Thai Songs 11: KON BANG JOH -- Cattleya Marasri

2012-01-15T06:58:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3pSkrFvD8M&feature=share

Favorite Lyrics 3: YOU HAVE KILLED ME -- Morrissey

2012-01-15T06:53:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cC4SBm7gQys

Thanks to a friend who told me about this song.
" Pasolini is me
'Accattone' you'll be
I entered nothing and nothing entered me
'Til you came with the key
And you did your best but

As I live and breathe
You have killed me
You have killed me
Yes I walk around somehow
But you have killed me
You have killed me
Piazza Cavour, what's my life for?

Visconti is me
Magnani you'll never be
I entered nothing and nothing entered me
'Til you came with the key

And you did your best but
As I live and breathe
You have killed me
You have killed me
Yes, I walk around somehow
But you have killed me
You have killed me

Who am I that I come to be here...?
As I live and breathe
You have killed me
You have killed me
Yes I walk around somehow
But you have killed me
You have killed me
And there is no point saying this again
there is no point saying this again
But I forgive you, I forgive you

Always I do forgive you."

It is interesting to see the cross references between films and songs. I also think about the song TSUI HARK by Sparks and the song BRAKHAGE by Stereolab.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeHdIDeUsEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAHcAiG-PM0

MY SCHEDULE

2012-01-11T22:37:00.000+07:00

THURSDAY 12 JAN
1800hrs GRAVE DECISIONS (2006, Marcus H. Rosenmüller, Germany) at BACC
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Theater-at-BACC-by-Film-Archive-Public-Organization/166116676828745

SAT 14 JAN
1345 ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES (1994, Clifton Ko Chisum) at Pridi
http://www.facebook.com/events/314107221950735/
2000 DON 2 (2011, Farhan Akhtar, India) at Major Rama III
http://www.bollywoodthai.com/

MON 16
1930 THERAPY (stage play) at B-FLOOR

THURSDAY 19 JAN
1800 THE LEGEND OF TIME (2006, Isaki Lacuesta, Spain) at BACC
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mini-Theater-at-BACC-by-Film-Archive-Public-Organization/166116676828745

SAT 21
11.00 GREAT DAY (2010, Chiu Keng Guan, Malaysia, 91 min)
1330 A TOKYO DAY (2011, Benjamin Genissel, France, 21 min) + A FORMAL FILM IN NINE EPISODES, PROLOGUE & EPILOGUE (2011, Mario Pfeiffer, 52 min)
1540 HAIR (2010, Tayfun Pirselimoglu, Turkey)
1900 WALKOVER (1965, Poland)
2100 THE HALF OF THE WORLD (2009, Jaime Ruiz Ibanez, Mexico, 92 min)

SUN 22
1100 PINOY SUNDAY (2010, Taiwan, 84 min)
1330 LOVELY MAN (2010, Teddy Soeriaatmadja, Indonesia, 75 min)
1530 TURIN HORSE (2011, Bela Tarr, Hungary, 146 min)
1900 LITTLE JERUSALEM (2005, France, 94 min)
2100 PUSHED (2010, Florian Schneider, Germany, 82 min)

MON 23
1100 NOSTALGIA FOR THE LIGHT (2010, Patricio Guzman, Chile, 90 min)
1330 THE KID WHO LIES (2011, Marite Ugas, Peru, 94 min)
1540 DANCE TOWN (2010, Jeon Kyu-Hwan, South Korea, 95 min)
1800 LA ACACIAS (2011, Argentina, 85 min)
2030 DOG SWEAT (2011, Hossein Keshavarz, Iran, 90 min)

TUES 24
1100 RETURN TICKET (2011, Teng Yung-Shing, China, 88 min)
1330 SHORT WAVE PROGRAM 3 (77 min)
1610 A SCREAMING MAN (2010, Chad, 92 min)
1840 WASTE LAND (2010, Lucy Walker, Karen Harley, João Jardim, Brazil, 98 min)
2030 THE ILLUSIONIST (2010, Sylvain Chomet, France, 83 min)

WED 25
1100 JULIETS (2010, Hou Chi-Jan, Chen Yu-Hsun, Shen Ko-Shang, Taiwan, 106 min)
1400 CHEONGGYECHEON MEDLEY: A DREAM OF IRON (2010, Kyung Kun Park, South Korea, 79 min)
1640 SEVEN DAYS IN HEAVEN (2010, Liu Zi-Jie, Yulin Wang, Taiwan, 93 min)
1850 THE CAVE OF FORGOTTEN DREAM 3D (2011, Werner Herzog, 90 min)
2200 THE BEETLE SOLDIERS (2011, Ari Sihasale, Indonesia, 106 min)

THURSDAY 26
1100 THE BALLAD OF GENESIS AND LADY JAYE (2010, 75 min)
1330 ZEPHYR (2010, Belma Bas, Turkey, 93 min)
1530 SHORT WAVE PROGRAM 1 (68 min)
1800 SHORT WAVE PROGRAM 4 (90 min)
2030 UNDERTOW (2009, Javier Fuentes-Leon, Peru, 100 min)

FRI 27
1300 GEORGE THE HEDGEHOG (2011, Wojciech Wawszczyk, Jakub Tarkowski, Tomasz Lesniak, animation, Poland, 90 min)
1530 SHORT WAVE PROGRAM 2 (91 min)
1800 THE CHEER AMBASSADOR (2011, Luke Cassady-Dorion, Thailand, 90 min)
2010 LUNG NEAW VISITS HIS NEIGHBOUR (2011, 149 min)

SAT 28
Bangkok Experimental Film Festival
http://beffbeff.com/BEFF%20Programmes/from-the-archives/

SUN 29
Bangkok Experimental Film Festival
http://beffbeff.com/BEFF%20Programmes/from-the-archives/

MON 30
1800 LUX program at William Warren Library
http://beffbeff.com/BEFF%20Programmes/bacc/

TUES 31 JAN
1930 AFTERNOON (2007, Angela Schanelec, Germany) at Goethe
http://www.goethe.de/ins/th/ban/en8449826v.htm

Favorite Music Videos 32: MEN LIKE GODS -- Gazelle Twin

2012-01-08T13:40:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANaabsQo-uA

This music video is made up of footage found in the digital library of Sardinia.

I think it should be screened together with other music videos made up of found footage, such as:

VIDEO GAMES -- Lana Del Rey
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

STARS & STRIPES FOREVER -- Matmos
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEXgNM9MAMY

Favorite Old Songs 128: LOOK FOR THE SILVER LINING -- Chet Baker

2012-01-08T06:24:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02-8boTzMyM

Thanks to a friend who told me about this song. :-)

I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU (2012, Tanakit Kitsanayunyong, A+)

2012-01-06T23:27:00.001+07:00

http://vimeo.com/34616178

Favorite Thai Songs 10: BENZ SPORT -- Ple Irene

2012-01-06T22:41:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUMmEmBdVI8&feature=share

Thanks to Graiwoot for telling me about this song.

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 55: BE STRONG (2011) -- The 2 Bears

2012-01-05T23:36:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIhNKP0w9jA&feature=related

UNCLE BOONMEE BY CHRIS WARE

2012-01-05T23:33:00.000+07:00

UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES' poster by Chris Ware won the best movie poster of 2011 in Mubi.

http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/the-best-movie-posters-of-2011?utm_source=digest&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest37

CINEPHILE CHALLENGE PHASE III DAY 5

2012-01-05T00:05:00.000+07:00

Phase III Day 5: Favorite Hitchcock film: THE LADY VANISHES (1938)

http://www.facebook.com/30daycinephilechallenge

CINEPHILE CHALLENGE PHASE III DAY 4

2012-01-04T23:57:00.000+07:00

Phase III Day 4: Favorite Welles film -- F FOR FAKE (1975)

http://www.facebook.com/30daycinephilechallenge

Favorite Thai Songs 9: WANT TO HAVE A HUSBAND OF MY OWN -- Jojo Is

2012-01-04T23:37:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOoyzFHWhvw&feature=related

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 (2012, Manasak Khlongchainan)

2012-01-04T23:22:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6gd9zHvWhw

FAVORITE HORROR, HORROR/THRILLER, OR HORROR-TINGED FILMS I SAW IN 2011

2012-01-03T15:03:00.001+07:00

This list is inspired by Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa.
http://filmsick.wordpress.com/2011/12/13/856/

Many films in this list are not horror films, but they are films with just a tinge of horror or nightmare in it.

1.HUSK (2011, Brett Simmons)

2.INSIDIOUS (2010, James Wan)

3.PARANORMAL ACTIVITY 3 (2011, Henry Joost + Ariel Schulman)

4.ONIBABA (1964, Kaneto Shindo)

5.IMAGINATION (จิน ต) (2010, Somsak Tepmalai)

6.LADDALAND (2011, Sophon Sakdaphisit, Thailand)

7.LIGHTS OUT (2010, Fabrice Gobert)

8.WHEN FEAR STRIKES (QUAND VIENT LA PEUR) ( 2010, Élisabeth Rappeneau, miniseries)

9.SCREAM 4 (2011, Wes Craven)

10.THE WOMB IN AQUARIUM (มดลูกในตู้ปลา) (2010, Napat Treepalawisetkun)

11.MIZU (2010, Teerath Wangwisarn)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdRpc3VrnGU

12.WHAT!!! (สิ่งประหลาดในสวนหลังบ้าน) (2011, Prempapan Plittapolkranpim)

13.DANGEROUS SUMMER (ฤดูร้อนที่อันตราย) (2010, Thattapol Rachnok)

14.THAT NIGHT (2011, Krit Kittikornrat)

15.VANISHING ON 7TH STREET (2010, Brad Anderson)

16.BIRD NEEDS BB (เบิร์ดอยากได้บีบี) (2011, Meathus Sirinawin)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QREhHlOk9iI

17.DEPARTURE (2011, Wuttikorn Skulsaknimit, video installation)

18.BLOOD FOR DRACULA (1974, Paul Morrissey)

19.THE CHILLING HOURS AND THE MURDERER IN THE NUMBING SILENCE (โมงยามอันยะเยือกและผู้ร้ายฆ่าคนในความเงียบนิ่งงัน) (2010, Tani Thitiprawat)

20.SPIRIT DE NOIR (2011, Pichet Smerchua)

21.RED LOTUS POND (NONG BUA DANG) (1973, Sor Asanajinda, Thailand)

22.ONE NIGHT IN GAY MOVIE PRODUCTION CLUB (ซอมบี้ขยี้ตุ๊ด) (2010, Somsak Sonphaeng)

23.DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (2010, Troy Nixey)

24.KARMA (กามา) (2010, Pachara Yang)

25.THE WARD (2010, John Carpenter)

26.DOUBLE ENQUÊTE (2010, Pierre Boutron, miniseries)

27.SHARK NIGHT 3D (2011, David R. Ellis)

28.LES OUBLIÉES (FORGOTTEN GIRLS) (2007, Hervé Hadmar, miniseries)

29.THE DARKNESS (2011, Arisara Poolvoralaks, Thailand, 15 min)

30.V (2010, Thee Boonkreangkai)

My list of 31 favorite horror films
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2007/10/31-horror-films.html

My list of 30 favorite Thai short films with ghosts
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2010/09/favorite-thai-short-films-with-ghosts.html

TULIP AND SUNANTA NAKSOMPOP IN "A SELF-MADE LADY" (1992, TV series)

2012-01-03T14:47:00.000+07:00

AN INTERVIEW WITH SUNANTA NAKSOMPOP

2012-01-03T12:23:00.005+07:00

ประโยคคลาสสิคจากสุนันทา นาคสมภพ นางเอกละคร "คุณหญิงบ่าวตั้ง" และผู้สร้างละคร "เพลิงพ่าย" (1990)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcmdKQfpdAU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsUzlbTjOB0

Thanks to Donsaron Kov for giving me Sunanta's interview.

"ที่บ้านโดนปล้น พ่อโดนยิง เรื่องมันเกิดขึ้นมา 30 กว่าปี จะฝังใจที่พ่อตายต่อหน้า ถูกยิงตอนเราอายุประมาณ 12-13"

"มากรุงเทพฯมาอยู่บ้านพี่สาวกับพี่เขย พี่เขยขึ้นหา เลยออกจากบ้าน"

"เข้าประกวดนางสาวไทยด้วยนะคะ ปีนิภาภัทร สุดศิริ เข้ารอบ 30 คน"

"แกไปงานกับผู้หญิงคนหนึ่ง ตัวเตี้ย เราเห็นแล้วรูปร่างเรากินขาด จริตจะก้านสู้เราไม่ได้หรอก"

"ทำขนมบ้าบิ่นขาย เพราะอยู่ได้หลายวันกว่าจะเสีย ฝรั่งถามอะไร บอกเครซี่ คุ้กกี้"

"มีคนหนึ่งพูดให้ได้ยินว่า ไม่มีพี่น้อยอู๊ดแย่แน่ อู๊ดเป็นคนที่ฆ่าได้ หยามไม่ได้ ก็ทำต่อ ทนมาเป็นปี"

"พอเรื่องขิงก็ราข่าก็แรงไปได้ดี ใช้หนี้ใกล้จะหมด ต่อด้วยเรื่องเพลิงพ่าย ซัคเซสมาก ห้องตัดต่อของเราเอง ทำเองหมดทุกอย่าง มีความรู้สึกว่าขอไปนอนที่โรงแรมดุสิตธานี โทร.บอกสามี สามีเริ่มโกรธ เริ่มระหองระแหง"

"ลูกเหมือนน้ำเย็นๆ เราเหมือนไฟ อะไรที่เราวางแผนไว้จะล้างแค้น พอเห็นหน้าลูก เรามีความรู้สึกว่า ทำไม่ลง ห่วงลูก"

Favorite Thai Songs 8: UNDER MALULEE TREE

2012-01-03T11:29:00.002+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OneEgVPOQDM

Thanks to Chanchana for telling us about this song.

HAIKU (2009, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, A+)

2012-01-03T10:45:00.001+07:00

I like the inexplicable quality of the second shot, and the homoerotic tinge of the third shot very much.
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xjan47_haiku-apichatpong-weerasethakul_shortfilms

It is a part of VISION DU RÉEL:

" To commemorate the 15th anniversary of Visions du Réel, the festival has asked select filmmakers for the gift of images, in the form of cinematic haikus. Each short film in the Haiku series is comprised of “three shots to contemplate reality and to capture, in the manner of Japanese poems, the unforeseeable, fleeting eternity of a moment, to be discovered at the beginning of each projection.""

I discovered this film from Dave McDougall's Favorite Film of 2011 list:
http://chainedtothecinematheque.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-year-in-cinema.html

CINEPHILE CHALLENGE PHASE III DAY 3

2012-01-03T10:16:00.000+07:00

Phase III Day 3: Your favorite Fellini film: JULIET OF THE SPIRITS (1965)
http://www.facebook.com/30daycinephilechallenge

JSDREAM.8 (2011, Feyyaz, Germany, A++++++++++)

2012-01-03T10:08:00.000+07:00

http://vimeo.com/34096103

ULTRA MODERN (2011, Adam Wingard)

2012-01-03T09:22:00.000+07:00

It reminds me of Gaspar Noé's film.
http://vimeo.com/33196409

Thanks to Chayanin for telling us about this.

ULTRA MODERN is a part of the omnibus film 60 SECONDS OF SOLITUDE.
http://60sec.ee/directors

FAVORITE OLD SONGS 127: PERMAFROST (1993) -- Thomas Köner

2012-01-02T10:18:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1teSrZ1LE7M&feature=share

This is an excellently haunting song by Thomas Koener, who directed the film SUBURBS OF EMPTINESS (2003), which is one of my most favorite films I saw in 2007.
http://www.sensesofcinema.com/2008/46/2007-world-poll-3/

CINEPHILE CHALLENGE PHASE III DAY 2

2012-01-02T10:09:00.001+07:00

Phase III Day 2: Your favorite Godard film: LA CHINOISE (1967)
http://www.facebook.com/30daycinephilechallenge

2012 NEW YEAR CELEBRATION FILMS FROM THAI FILMMAKERS

2012-01-02T09:58:00.000+07:00

1.HAPPY STORMY YEAR 2012 (Chaisiri Jiwarangsan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMH7MWtWtqk

2.CHAINSAW CELEBRATION (Pairach Khumwan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbrbGXVBMdE

3.HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 (Prap Boonpan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkeMQR1eLkk

4.NYE2012 (Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-0oWyi5UJc

CINEPHILE CHALLENGE PHASE III DAY 1

2012-01-01T17:52:00.000+07:00

30 Day Cinephile Challenge: Phase III: Day 1: Your favorite Bergman film: THE SILENCE (1963)
http://www.facebook.com/30daycinephilechallenge

FAVOURITE SOUTHEAST ASIAN FILMS I SAW IN 2011

2012-01-01T12:31:00.000+07:00

I made this list for Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa.

1. ANTHEM (2011, Proxy, Thailand, video installation in an exhibition curated by Josef Ng at WTF Gallery)
http://wtfbangkok.com/index.php/2011/11/19/proxy/

2. LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS (2011, Tritos Termarbsri, Thailand, 90 min)
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/12/leastwaysmoderate-waysextreme-ways-2011.html

3. FORGET ME NOT (2010, Napat Chaithiangthum, Thailand, 30 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9YXI3fJcI

4. WHY DO YOU JUMP? (2011, Korn Kanogkekarin, Thailand, 19 min)

5. GAZE AND HEAR (2010, Nontawat Numbenchapol, Thailand, 10 min)

6. UNDO (2011, Cierlito Tabay + Moreno Benigno, Philippines, documentary, 19 min)

7. ENEMIES OF THE PEOPLE (2009, Rob Lemkin + Thet Sambath, Cambodia, documentary)

8. ONE SUNNY MORNING (2011, Bk Lim, Singapore, 18 min)

9. THE TANK (2011, Gino Santos, Philippines, 7 min)

10. AFTERNOON RIVER EVENING SKY (2010, Edmund Yeo, Malaysia, 19 min)

A BEAUTIFUL PERSON WALKING IN PUBLIC IN USA (2011, Mint Dejudom, Thailand, A++++++++++)

2011-12-31T11:02:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_7Y0lbXg6o&feature=related

This is one of the funniest films I have ever seen this year.

Favorite quote from Philip Cheah

2011-12-28T17:13:00.000+07:00

http://asiapacificfilms.tv/host-philip-cheah-blog-my-travels-in-the-post-colonial-film-festival-world/

"In my 20 years of being in film festivals, I know that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to know what audiences will like or not understand. It’s an illusion to think that audiences can be predicted. This illusion is a legacy of colonialism and imperialism that believes that there are a chosen few who understand the masses more than them, and knows what is good for them.

One of the chief virtues of film selection is honesty and the spirit of sharing. If you honestly like and believe in a film, no matter how strange or foreign it may look, then the only reasonable response is a desire to share this experience with your audience."

Favorite Thai Songs 7: MY HUSBAND IS THE WIFE OF SOMEONE ELSE'S HUSBAND (2011) -- Jintara Poonlarp

2011-12-26T21:13:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_rQvYponQQ

คำร้อง-ทำนอง บอย เขมราฐ

*ผัวๆๆๆๆ มีผัวผิด ล่ะคิดจนวันตาย ผัวเอย ผัวข้อยเปลี่ยนไป (ซ้ำ) ผัวนอกใจ ล่ะแอบไปมีผัว....

1.ก่อนแต่งล่ะเพิ่นดู แม๊นแมน..เด๊ะ เป็นแฟนเมื่อแรกก็ว่า แมนดีเล่นกล้ามหนวดเครา เข้มขรึม..นะ สาวตรึม ล่ะตอมกันปานแมงหวี่ใครๆเขารุมอิจฉา(ซ้ำ) ได้เข้าวิวาห์ หนุ่มหน้าตาดีนึกว่าสามีเป็นชาย(ซ้ำ) แต่ที่ไหนได้.. เป็นเก้งกวางชะนี.....

2.จับได้ล่ะคาหนัง คาเขา..ช๊ะ หม้อข้าวล่ะก็ยังบ่ ทันเปื้อนหนวดเหนิดขนหน้าแข้ง ก็โกน..สั้น คบหากะเทย ข้างบ้านเป็นเพื่อนแต่ก่อนมิเคยเข้าครัว(ซ้ำ) นี่นั่งตำถั่ว จนบ้านสะเทือนถ้าบ่ได้เห็นกับตา(ซ้ำ) บ่เซื่อดอกค่ะ.. ว่าผัวหนูสิเป็นเมียผัวเพื่อน..

3.ผัวข้อยล่ะเป็นเมียผัวเขา..ช๊ะ ผัวเขาล่ะก็เป็นผัวๆข้อยผัวข้อยล่ะก็เป็นเมียผัวเขา.. ช๊ะ ผัวเขาละก็เป็นผัวๆข้อยทั้งอายล่ะทั้งอยากจะหนี(ซ้ำ) ที่คุณสามี ทำตัวด่างพร้อยกอดลูกทั้งน้ำตาไหล(ซ้ำ) สิเอาผัวใหม่ ล่ะก็จะกลัวซ้ำรอย..

BANGKOK FLOODS IN 1942 (1942, Tae Prakartwuttisarn, documentary, A++++++++++)

2011-12-25T21:30:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1t4TDyixsI

AL QAEDA CONFIDENTIAL (2011, Paul Jenkins + Georges Malbrunot, documentary, A++++++++++)

2011-12-23T15:59:00.001+07:00

http://vimeo.com/30945526

THE OLD HERMIT AND THE DREAMY DOG (2011, Somporn Kongrod, A+++++)

2011-12-23T13:04:00.000+07:00

One of my most favorite animations I saw this year
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qn_bpBSXxoE

THAT NAWENG'S TALE (2011, Arnon Saiyotha, A+++++++++++++++)

2011-12-23T12:09:00.001+07:00

You can watch the film from the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1KMZlu-6Ms&feature=share

KRASUESAO WAS SHOWN WHILE I WAS BORN

2011-12-23T09:58:00.000+07:00

I just visited the exhibition PROXY (2011, Proxy, curated by Josef Ng, A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++) at WTF Gallery and learned from this exhibition that the film which was shown in Thailand around the time I was born (February 1973) is the horror film KRASUESAO (1973, S. Naowarach). I think it is very appropriate that this film was shown while I was born.
http://wtfbangkok.com/index.php/2011/11/19/proxy/

Talking about my birthday, I also noticed that Philipp Rösler, the economy minister of Germany, was born in Vietnam in February 24, 1973, or just two days before me. His life seems like a total success, while mine is not. Hahaha.

"PROFESSIONAL AT BEING HUMAN BEINGS"

2011-12-23T08:47:00.000+07:00

Apichatpong Weerasethakul talks about his exhibition PRIMITIVE in the link below:
http://bk.asia-city.com/events/article/interview-apichatpong-weerasethakul

I like this sentence very much "I always select actors that have a lot of experience that I don’t have. People say, they are not professional. But for me they are very professional, professional at being human beings. They’ve gone through so much."

THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE (2009, Claudio Centimeri, A+/A)

2011-12-18T21:16:00.000+07:00

This black comedy is suitable for those who like ABNORMAL FAMILY (1984, Masayuki Suo) and SITCOM (1998, François Ozon).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkLldjo1LBk

LOVERS AND ENEMIES (2010, Dilmana Yordanova + Mihaela Kavdanska, Romania, A+++++++++++++++)

2011-12-18T20:38:00.002+07:00

http://vimeo.com/24771309

This is one of my most favorite films of the year.

IN TRANSIT (2008, Joanne Richardson, Romania, A+)

2011-12-18T20:35:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI4O9FbswGo

SKHIZEIN (2008, Jérémy Clapin, animation, A+)

2011-12-18T17:46:00.002+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxoO3F6N81U

This animation about a mental problem should be screened together with I LOVE SYNDROME (2011, Ninart Boonpothong).

GHOST ORB (2011, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, exhibition)

2011-12-18T14:29:00.000+07:00

PLANKING (2011, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, A+++++++++++++++)

2011-12-18T14:28:00.000+07:00

JELE-BEAUTIE (2011, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, A+++++)

2011-12-18T14:27:00.000+07:00

9 MONTHS SELF-PORTRAIT (2007, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, A+)

2011-12-18T14:23:00.002+07:00

GHOST ORB (2007, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, A+)

2011-12-18T14:21:00.000+07:00

S.O.S. THAILAND

2011-12-18T13:30:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npUU2AQwlDY

Favorite Old Songs 126: BRAINTICKET (1992) -- Ramin

2011-12-17T20:00:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsQ5OmreKTk

The poem THE RED CARNATION (1871) by Louise Michel

2011-12-16T00:29:00.000+07:00

"If were to go to the black cemetery
Brothers, throw on your sister,
As a final hope,
Some red 'carnations' in bloom.
In the final days of Empire,
When the people were awakening,
It was your smile red carnation
which told us that all was being reborn.
Today, go blossom in the shadow of the black and sad prisons.
Go, bloom near the somber captive,
And tell him/her truly that we love him/her.
Tell that through fleeting time
Everything belongs to the future
That the livid-browed conqueror
can die more surely than the conquered."

Favorite quote from Louise-Michel (1830-1905)

2011-12-15T00:50:00.000+07:00

"“Since it seems that every heart that beats for freedom has no right to anything but a little slug of lead, I demand my share. If you let me live, I shall never cease to cry for vengeance.”"

Favorite quote from Dave Kehr

2011-12-14T23:26:00.001+07:00

http://www.villagevoice.com/2011-09-14/film/you-cannot-send-shit-through-the-internet-and-other-life-lessons-from-critic-dave-kehr/2/

" . I have a general suspicion of big theme movies—when you look at big life-affirming epics from [William] Wyler or [George] Stevens or something, every individual shot is just so dead that it contradicts whatever humanist message they're trying to put across, whereas someone who seems to be as nihilistic asGeorge Romero is just so alive imaginatively on the level of shots and how he's arranging things, and that seems to me a much more life-affirming experience than so many of these big lumbering humanistic classics."

The photo comes from DIARY OF THE DEAD (2007, George A. Romero). You can read about George A. Romero in Thai from the book FILMVIRUS 5: LOW BUDGET FILMS IN COMBAT (2007).

Favorite Thai Songs 6 : A LETTER FROM A RENT WIFE -- Manee Maneewan

2011-12-05T22:45:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8kyUqvVBqg

LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS (2011, Tritos Termarbsri, 90 min, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

2011-12-03T07:59:00.000+07:00

อย่างน้อย/อย่างกลาง/อย่างมาก (ไตรทศ เติมอาบศรี)

(I can't remember any details in the film now. I apologize if I remember anything wrongly.)

This is one of my most favorite films I saw this year, and is definitely one of my most favorite Thai films of all time.

What I like very much in this film includes:

1.It made me cry a lot at the end of the film. It seems as if the pain of the protagonist has been transferred to me. I'm very surprised that the film can make me feel as hurtful as this, because I don't share the same experience with the protagonist of the film. I don't have a dead friend whom I'm always think about. But the film is successful in making me fully sympathize with the protagonist and his pain.

2.I'm not sure why the film can have that powerful effect on me, but I'm sure this film doesn't follow the formula of tear-jearking films. This film doesn't tell a straightforward story. It doesn't tell "one" story of a man who misses his dead friend very much, but it tells seven stories, each of which varies a lot in tones, styles or genres. So I like it very much that the film can make me cry uncontrollably by telling stories in a way that is radically different from most tear-jerking films.

3.I like the structure of the film very much. It consists of seven stories, each of them has a plot or subplot concerning a dead friend. The structure of the film is one of the things that makes the film unique.

The structure of the film, which consists of tangentially-connected stories, may be comparable to such films as DON'T WARM EGGS IN MICROWAVE OR ELSE THEY WILL EXPLODE! (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh), LIFE IS SHORT 2 (2006, Tossapol Boonsinsukh), 71 FRAGMENTS OF A CHRONOLOGY OF CHANCE (1994,Michael Haneke), or DISAPPEAR (2010, Tani Thitiprawat), because these films also tell barely-connected stories and can also give us some kinds of emotional climax. However, I think LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS is interesting because the mini-stories in this film vary a lot in tones, styles, or genres, while the mini-stories in other films don't vary a lot in tones.

In a way, I think LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS is as successful as VIDEO 50 (1978, Robert Wilson), because VIDEO 50 also consists of barely-connected segments which vary a lot in tones, styles or genres, and can give us some emotional climax. I consider VIDEO 50 one of my most favorite films of all time, and I think it is extremely hard for any filmmakers to make a film with this kind of structure and can also affect the audience tremendously. There are very few filmmakers who can pull off this kind of thing. Robert Wilson can do it. And now Tritos Termarbsri proves that he can do it, too.

What about the comparison with Alexander Kluge, the master of this kind of cinema? I think Tritos' film is radically different from Kluge's films, because Kluge's films affect the brain, while Tritos' film makes me cry. However, the films of Kluge, Robert Wilson, and Tritos may affect my subconscious, because all of them have a profound effect on me in an unexplainable way.

4.Each of the seven stories is very interesting in itself, so when they are all combined together in this film, it results in one of my most favorite films of the year.

The seven stories include:

4.1 LEASTWAYS อย่างน้อย (14 min)
It is about two male friends who talk about some funny things in a bookshop. At first it looks like a low-budget comedy focusing on a dialogue, but the film changes its genre in the second half, when one of the friends reveals that a ghost of his friend is always around him. I like the low-budget look and the playful tone of this segment very much. The abrupt change of genre reminds me of such films as FROM DUSK TILL DAWN (1995, Robert Rodriguez).

4.2 MODERATE WAYS อย่างกลาง
This segment is about an ex-boyfriend and an ex-girlfriend who meets each other in a park. After they talk for a while, they find out that the failure of their past relationship is caused by white lies. If only they hadn't lied to each other with good intentions, their relationship wouldn't have failed. I like it very much that the film doesn't support white lies.

This segment's tone is a little bit like BEFORE SUNSET (2004, Richard Linklater). It has a natural feeling and features some long dialogues. I like many scenes in this segment, especially the scenes in which the hero and the heroine talk with each other in a small boat under a bridge, and the scene in which they talk on a park bench near a pond. The acting in both scenes are excellent. I also like the reflection of water in the park bench scene very much. I think the park bench scene is one of my most favorite scenes in Thai films this year because of these reasons: it is shot very beautifully but the beauty is not overemphasized; it features great acting and lets the actors continue their performances for a long time without interruptions; it doesn't try to arouse the audience too much; and it is very human.

There's a cute thing I like very much in the boat-under-a-bridge scene. It's the moment in which the heroine wants to sing, so the hero announces something like, "Let the music play!", and then both the audience and the characters hear the music, which originates from an ambiguous space. The music does not come from anywhere "in the park", but the characters can hear it and control it. That moment makes me feel as if the film is saying to the audience, "You are watching a film, and the characters know that they are in a film." And this moment seems to blur the line between diegetic sound and non-diegetic sound or something like that.

The main characters from LEASTWAYS become supporting characters in MODERATE WAYS.

4.3 DINING TABLE โต๊ะอาหาร
The tone of this segment is a little bit like LEASTWAYS. It features some long dialogues between friends. The dialogue is not serious and reminds me a little bit of some cute dialogues in PULP FICTION. After the first half, the segment seems to change its genre, when the characters begin to wonder if they are in a dream, whose dream they are in, or if any of them is a ghost or not. The segment is partly inspired by INCEPTION, and it adapts the idea from INCEPTION in a very lovely way.

I also like the look of the ghosts in this segment very much. These ghosts do not look like "frightening ghosts in standard horror films", but they look half-creepy, half-funnily-low-tech. These ghosts remind me of the ghosts in CELINE AND JULIE GO BOATING (1974, Jacques Rivette) and THE BODY BENEATH (1970, Andy Milligan).

4.4 INTERVIEW สัมภาษณ์
This segment is like a TV program about ghosts. A man is giving an interview on his ability to see a ghost of his friend. What I like very much in this segment is that its tone surprises me. At first I assumed that this segment would be either a comedy or a horror. But it turns out to be neither of them. Its tone is half-serious. The man seriously believes that he can contact a ghost of his friend, and the film neither ridicules the man nor confirms his ability. The viewers must judge by themselves whether the man is believable or not.

4.5 THE MAN WHO IS BECOMING A FATHER ชายผู้ที่กำลังจะเป็นพ่อคน
I like this segment the least in the film. In this segment, a man and a woman is discussing about the case of Annie Brooks and Film Rathapoom, and then they discuss about their own relationship. Then, it is revealed that they are in a dream, but I can't remember many details in it, including:

4.5.1 Whose dream they are in

4.5.2 Whether the woman is pregnant or not pregnant

4.5.3 If the woman is pregnant, who is the father of her child?

4.5.4 Whether the woman was pregnant and lost her child in the past

4.5.5 Whether the woman is already dead

4.5.6 What is the real motivation of the man

Though I think the emotion in this segment falls flat, I still like some aspects of this segment very much, including the fact that this segment enables the film to talk about some topical issues, which might not be related to the main plot of the film.

4.6 MEETING AGAIN พบกันอีกครั้ง
This segment is excellent. I like it very much. In this segment, a university student accidentally meets his old friend. They talk for several minutes. His old friend seems to remind him of a mutual friend who is dead. The performance in this segment is very natural.

What I like very much in this segment is that it is "a slice of life". It doesn't give us any obvious conclusion. It just presents "several minutes" in the life of a man. Several minutes in which nothing important seems to happen. But these several minutes are so true, so heartfelt, so subtle, so deeply moving.

4.7 POOM ปุ้ม
The last segment of this film is extremely powerful. A man and a woman is watching ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (2004, Michel Gondry) in a theatre. From their conversation, we understand that they are the main characters from LEASTWAYS. The woman is the ghost of the man's friend. There are other viewers in the theatre, too. And these viewers are the male protagonists from other segments in the film.

The man tries hard not to fall asleep, because he realizes that if he falls asleep, his ghost friend will disappear from his life forever. He tries very hard, but in the end he falls asleep in the theatre. Then, we hear the song FUN LUM-IANG by La-ong-fong. A part of the lyrics of this song talks about things like, "if you want to meet that person, you must close your eyes, and think of that person, and dream of that person, because you can't meet that person in reality anymore."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiJNi0Vsa4Y

The ending of this film brings tears to my eyes and reminds me of the last few minutes in the documentary TU AS CRIÉ: LET ME GO (1999, Anne Claire Poirier, Canada). In the documentary, the director mourns the untimely death of her daughter. Anne Claire Poirier seems to make this documentary as a way to heal herself, to come to terms with the death of her own daughter, to understand her own grief and deal with it. In the ending of TU AS CRIÉ: LET ME GO, the director says to the spirit of her daughter, "I LET YOU GO."

Every time I think of this four-word sentence in TU AS CRIÉ: LET ME GO, I cry, and I'm not sure why it has such a tremendous effect on me. Anyway, I think that this sentence indicates that, at last, Anne Claire Poirier can come to terms with the untimely death of her daughter. She will always miss her daughter, but she will not be too much obsessed with this death any more. She now can accept this tragedy as a fact of life, and can now go on living.

The ending of LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS makes me feel the same way. It makes me feel that, finally, the protagonist of this film can accept the fact that his friend is dead and he can't change it. He can think of his dead friend, but he can't be too obsessed with it, and he must continue living his own life. The ending of Tritos' film makes me feel as if its protagonist wants to say to the spirit of his dead friend, "I DON'T WANT TO LET YOU GO, BUT NOW I MUST LET YOU GO."

Life is sad. The longer you live, the more you will see your beloved ones die. No one can stay with each other forever. What is left is only a memory of the good old times we spent together.

5.LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS is one of the most powerful films dealing with grief for the death of a loved one. In this film, we never see the protagonist lament for the death of his friend. The topic is even dealt with comically, instead of seriously. But in the end, the film is extremely successful in making me understand the grief of the protagonist.

If I have to screen this film with other films, I may choose to screen it with my favorite films dealing with grief, such as

5.1 ALONG TOGETHER พบ (2009, Wuttipan Deepanya, 9 min)

5.2 ALWAYS (1990, Steven Spielberg)

5.3 COMING TO TERMS WITH THE DEAD (1994, Pascale Ferran)

5.4 THE DOOR IN THE FLOOR (2004, Tod Williams)

5.5 PAPA (2005, Maurice Barthélémy)

5.6 THREE COLOURS: BLUE (1993, Krzysztof Kieslowski)

Tritos' film also reminds me of two songs I like about grief for loved ones. These two songs are:

5.7 I'LL BE THERE -- The Escape Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EnO8yRcIeI

5.8 TOGETHER AGAIN (1997) -- Janet Jackson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LyQ_81dChWU

In conclusion, LEASTWAYS/MODERATE WAYS/EXTREME WAYS is one of my most favorite Thai films of all time, because it makes me cry uncontrollably, and because the structure of the film is unique: it is composed of seven stories whose styles/tones/genres are different from one another.

Favorite Old Songs 125: THE LONESOME DEATH OF HATTIE CARROLL -- Bob Dylan

2011-12-01T23:43:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7h6xAxe_aY

I worship the lyrics of this song.

The real case which inspired this song:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lonesome_Death_of_Hattie_Carroll

Favorite music videos 31: HYPE GIRL -- Dominique Young (2011, Ausdruckslos)

2011-11-29T22:27:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZO4W4aJKt0s&feature=share

Thai films seen on Wednesday, August 3, 2011

2011-11-28T00:15:00.000+07:00

1.HI-DEFINITION GIRL (2011, Tanakit Kitsanayunyong, 3:33 min, A++++++++++)
หญิงสาวแห่งความคมชัด (ธนกฤต กฤษณยรรยง)
http://vimeo.com/24433148
This film makes me think about something I have never thought about before--the size of the image frame. What I like very much in this film is the fact that I know nothing at all. I don't know what happens in the film, who the girl is, when the action takes place, why it happens, etc. But what makes it very different from other enigmatic films I have seen is the fact that I didn't even know "the real size of the image frame" until the end of the film.

In this film, we see a girl doing something inside a small image frame. The image frame is placed in a vast darkness. We don't know if the darkness surrounding this image frame is "inside" or "outside" the story until the end of the film.

I find this thing very brilliant. Tanakit also directed QUOTATION MARK (2010, A++++++++++), which is one of my most favorite Thai films I saw in 2010.
http://vimeo.com/18300781

2.MY ROOM AND I (2010, Ka-nes Boonyapanachoti, 20 min, A++++++++++)
ห้องของฉันและเรื่องของผม (คเณศ บุญยะปานะโชติ)
My favorite scene in this film is the one about the director's trip to the beach with a group of university friends. This part of the film reminds me of one of the best times in my life--the time when we spent with friends and did many crazy things that we can't do it again when we grow old.

The joy among friends depicted in that scene is enormous. I also like it very much that the scene recorded a spontaneous dialogue (or some playful verbal attacks) among friends. I think this spontaneous dialogue is very important, because if you don't record it, it might be lost forever.

I learn from my own experience that when we are among our close friends, we are inclined to invent some new words, some funny phrases, or some funny sentences to talk to our close friends, and if we don't record these funny phrases, we will forget them forever, and we will never hear them again in our lifetime whether from our close friends or other people. I regret that I can note down only 1% of what my friends said when we were young. When I grow old and read this 1% of what my friends said twenty years ago, I find it very precious and is one of the best things in my life.

MY ROOM AND I also tries to depict other aspects in the life of the director and gives a hint at the end of the film that some parts of the film might be fictionalized and not a pure documentary.

3.DOG LOVE CAT (2011, Weerasak Suyala, 27 min, A++++++++++)
หมากับแมวไม่แคล้วกัน (วีระศักดิ์ สุยะลา)

4.MAD DOG (2011, Pongtawee Srilasuk, 7:19 min, A+)
หมาบ้า (พงษ์ทวี ศรีลาศักดิ์)

5.SHOWING IMAGES OF MY LOVE FOR YOU (2011, Wachara Kanha, 2 min, A+)
แสดงภาพในความรักที่ฉันรักเธอ (วชร กัณหา)

6.BOOKBIKE (2010, Wiroon Kingpaiboon, 29 min, documentary, A+/A)
หนังสือติดล้อ (วิรุฬห์ กิ่งไพบูลย์)

7.LOOP (2010, Adit Matayapirom, 5:32 min, animation, A+/A)
ห่วง (อดิษฐ์ เมธยาภิรมย์)

8.STOP HERE (2011, Twatpong Tangsajjapoj, 2:30 min, animation, A+/A)
หยุด (ธวัชพงศ์ ตั้งสัจจะพจน์)

9.OVER THE RAINBOW (2010, Phattaramon Urahvanicha, 2:40 min, animation, A+/A)
หลังฟ้าหม่น (ภัทรมน เอื้อวาณิชชา)
http://vimeo.com/23436752

10.THE ESCAPE (2011, Pavin Kittikovit, 12 min, A+/A)
หนี (ปวีณ กิตติโกวิท)

11.DRY COLOURS TUBE (2011, Weerapat Tembundit + Chotika Parinayok 11 min, A+/A)
หลอดสี (วีรภัทร เต็มบัณฑิต, โชติกา ปริณายก)

12.NONGPO, FOR BETTER LIFE (2011, Kangwan Jaimun, 9 min, A)
หนองโพยั่งยืน (กังวาน ใจมั่น)

13.MAKPRAO (2010, Sarida Pao-aroon, animation, 4:07 min, A)
หมากพร้าว (สริดา เผ่าอรุณ)

14.THE TELEPHONE NUMBER (2010, Kritmongkon Peantong, 19:51 min, A-)
หมายเลขที่เธอเรียกจะติดต่อให้ได้ในขณะนี้ (กฤษณ์มงคล เพียรทอง)

15.MY A DAY (2010, Kawit Kittikun, 5:16 min, A-)
หนึ่งวันของฉัน (กวิศ กิตติกูล)

16.THE BOOK IS PIGGY BANK (2010, Prachuab Plittapolkarnpim, 12 min, A-)
หนังสือคือออมสิน (ประจวบ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKS7_ZmgszE

17.BLACK HOLE OF THE UNIVERSE (2011, shadow play aka Teeranit Siangsanoh, 2:56 min, B+)
หลุมดำแห่งจักรวาล (คล้ายเงา)
I think this film is the weakest film among many apocalyptic films made by Teeranit.

MY FAVORITE STAGE PLAYS DIRECTED BY NINART BOONPOTHONG

2011-11-27T19:37:00.000+07:00

1.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION เมื่อผมหลับในคืนปฏิวัติ (2007, A+++++++++++++++)

2.PORNOGRAM เปลือยแล้วฆ่า (2010, A+++++++++++++++)

3.CASTRATED DOGS หมาตอน (2004, A+++++++++++++++)

4.NEVER LET ME GO (2011, A+++++++++++++++) seen on August 28

5.LOVE OF THE ECONOMIST เกมรัก/นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ (2011, A++++++++++) seen on June 24

6.ALT-CTRL-DEL (2008, A++++++++++)

7.APT PUPIL วิปริต (2011, A+++++) seen on July 29

8.ADD AS A FRIEND (2009, with Thanyanan Kooanupong, A+++++) seen on August 29

NINART BOONPOTHONG'S STAGE PLAYS

2011-11-27T19:35:00.000+07:00

The more I watch Ninart's plays, the more I hope someone adapts his plays into films. His plays are great, and the films made from his plays will surely be ranked as ones of the best Thai films made in that year.

Ninart Boonpothong's stage plays that I have watched:

(in roughly chronological order)

1.CASTRATED DOGS หมาตอน (2004, A+++++++++++++++)

2.RED BUILDING ตึกแดง (2005, A+)

3.MISSING YOU (2006, A+)

4.MISERY คลั่ง (2006, with Pornpen Faumnuay, A-)

5.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S THE TRAGEDY OF KING LEAR เย้ยฟ้า ท้าดิน (2007, A+/A)

6.WHEN I SLEPT OVER THE NIGHT OF THE REVOLUTION เมื่อผมหลับในคืนปฏิวัติ (2007, A+++++++++++++++)

7.ALT-CTRL-DEL (2008, A++++++++++)

8.LOST GIRLZ (2008, A+) seen on September 14

9.FRIENDS (2009, A+) seen on January 25

10.THE PRINCESS OF WOLF AND THE PRINCE OF NIGHT เจ้าหญิงหมาป่ากับเจ้าชายรัตติกาล (2009, with Wanatsanan Sasom and Jirawat Chantaseelkul, A-) seen on May 9

11.WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE'S A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM (2009, with Rattapong Pinyosophon, A+/A) seen on June 5

12.ADD AS A FRIEND (2009, with Thanyanan Kooanupong, A+++++) seen on August 29

13.ASURAKAI อสูรกาย (2009, A+) seen on September 4

14.HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN'S THE SNOW QUEEN ราชินีหิมะ (2009, with Jirawat Chantaseelkul, Chinnat Nopkhum, Chatchai Sattayadit, A+) seen on December 27

15.THE P-R-I-N-S-E-CC เจ้าหงิญ (2010, with Pornpen Faumnuay, A+) seen on January 22

16.GHOST OF THE ECONOMISTS (2010, A+) seen on February 6

17.THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH มรรคบาท/ฆาตกรรม (2010, A+/A) seen on March 20

18.PORNOGRAM เปลือยแล้วฆ่า (2010, A+++++++++++++++) seen on June 13

19.THE RULE OF THE GAMES ความรักของตุลยา: ตีไข่ใส่ฟองรัก (2010, A+) seen on September 11

20.LADY MINA: VAMPIRE HUNTER (2011, A) seen on March 25

21.HOLD ON ME (2011, A+/A) seen on May 22
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/05/hold-on-me-2011-ninart-boonpothong-aa.html

22.PHAYATHAI JUNCTION สี่แยกรัก...พักติวหน่อย (2011, A+) seen on June 5

23.LOVE OF THE ECONOMIST เกมรัก/นักเศรษฐศาสตร์ (2011, A++++++++++) seen on June 24

24.APT PUPIL วิปริต (2011, A+++++) seen on July 29

25.PETER PAN (2011, A-) seen on August 7

26.NEVER LET ME GO (2011, A+++++++++++++++) seen on August 28

27.I LOVE SYNDROME (2011, A+) seen on November 19

I LOVE SYNDROME (2011, Ninart Boonpothong, A+)

2011-11-27T19:31:00.000+07:00

Things I like very much in this stage play include:

1.The Stockholm Syndrome story, which is about a man who kidnaps a famous male singer in order to get revenge on the elder brother of the singer, but the captor and the captive fall in love with each other. It's like a gay version of Pisarn Akaraseranee's films, because there's some sadomasochistic pleasure involved in the love between them.

This story is very romantic for me and fulfills my sexual fantasy. In this way, it satisfies me like FORGET ME NOT (2010, Naphat Chaithiangthum, 30 min, A+++++++++++++++), which is one of my most favorite films I have seen this year. FORGET ME NOT is about the love between two boys in a rural Thai setting, and the story happens 70-80 years ago. It's like a gay version of Cherd Songsri's films.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9YXI3fJcI

Both FORGET ME NOT and I LOVE SYNDROME use some old formulas of heterosexual stories/forms/styles and adapt them for gay stories. And I find both of them very fulfilling and satisfying.

Will this become a trend for Thai gay films and Thai gay stage plays? I don't know, but I think it will be interesting if it becomes a new trend. In the past, there have been many gay experimental films, gay films about AIDS, and gay films about unequal rights or prejudices. Recently, there have been some Thai gay TV series about real gay lifestyles, such as LOVE AUDITION, which is a very good trend, though I haven't had time to watch them yet. And now gay films/gay stage plays which use old formulas of heterosexual stories are made. It is very satisfying to see that some genres of films which have been dominated by heterosexual stories in the past are now being adapted for gay stories. And there are still many genres for Thai gay films to explore, including the folklore genre, the martial-arts genre, the rural action genre, the melodrama about love-between-different-classes genre, the conscript (ทหารเกณฑ์) genre, etc. I hope to see more Thai gay films made along these genres in the near future.

LOVE AUDITION
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWufhDEg37Y

Example from the folklore genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx3a1rqNdlg

the martial-arts genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xS-QJj2SW5E

the rural action genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwMhcEs-aNI

the love-between-different-classes genre
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70O5elVu79Q

I also hope that the Stockholm Syndrome story will be adapted into a feature film. The role of the captive singer may be played by someone like Poppy. The role of the kidnapper may be played by someone like Peerawat Herabut.

Poppy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88u9QBaGHSo

Peerawat Herabut
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2344/2124823340_ee387e75a2_o.jpg

2. The fact that the Asperger Syndrome story does not have a happy ending. However, I think its ending is still a little bit too forced. In the ending of this story, which is also the ending of the play, the heroine accepts the fact that she cannot cope with her Asperger boyfriend any more, and decides to dump him no matter how pitiful or innocent he is. Later, when she reads a book about a neglected cat, it reminds her of him, and she feels very sad and wants to cry.

I like it very much that the heroine decides to dump her boyfriend, because I might do the same as her. Both the heroine and I are not virtuous or strong persons. We are just flawed human beings who are selfish, unable to solve every problem in life in a graceful manner, and we just want to survive. However, the ending scene is not successful in making the audience cry, and I think it is partly because the play doesn't spend enough time on this couple. We don't truly understand how much love the heroine might have for her boyfriend or how wonderful her boyfriend can be when they are together. It is understandable that the play contains four stories, so we cannot spend enough time on the Asperger couples. But this fact makes me able to sympathize only with the heroine's frustration with her boyfriend, but I cannot sympathize with the heroine's love for her boyfriend or her regret for having lost her boyfriend. I think this problem can solved if the story is adapted into a 60-90 minute play/film.

3.The play indirectly teaches the audience "not to trust the rumor or appearance", especially in the Stockholm Syndrome story and the Bipolar story. I like it very much that in the Stockholm Syndrome story, the rich elder brother seems like a wicked, crooked businessman at first, and the kidnapper seems like a Robin Hood or a victim who tries to get revenge. But later it turns out that the rich businessman is not as crooked as what we has assumed, and the kidnapper is the crooked one.

The Bipolar story is very interesting if you analyze it politically. But I won't analyze its politics because I know very little about politics. But I like it very much that this story about a superheroine who tries to fight a gang of bad men under an evil mafia (or politician?) is very complicated. Everything is not what it looks like. The superheroine may be a "false personality" of a girl. This false personality may be created by a person who secretly controls the girl and who may gain some profits for himself if the girl destroys the mafia. In this story, the son may betray the father, the follower may betray the leader, and the girl may betray herself.

In a way, I think this Bipolar story is at least as complicated as SHATTERED IMAGE (1998, Raul Ruiz). If this story is adapted into a feature film, its story and its political implications may be more interesting than RED EAGLE (2010, Wisit Sasanatieng, A+/A) and HEADSHOT (2011, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, A+).

4. The structure of the play. The play tells 4 four stories, each one of which has roughly three acts. What is amazing is that the play doesn't tell one story from start to finish before it starts to tell another one. But the play tells act one from each four stories, then tells act two from each four stories, then tells acts three from each four stories or something like that. But I LOVE SYNDROME is very easy to follow, and in fact, it can be considered one of the easiest plays to follow among Ninart's plays. Ninart is great in writing highly complicated stories with obscure messages. I LOVE SYNDROME has a complicated structure, but at least its message is clear (the play wants us to understand people who suffer from each of the four mental syndromes), so that's why I think I LOVE SYNDROME is one of the easiest plays to understand among Ninart's works.

5.Though I like the story of the Stockholm Syndrome the most, I think the performers in I LOVE SYNDROME are most successful in the Asperger story, partly because they play "normal university students" in this story. There is much fun in watching them talking in a fake birthday party scene in the Asperger story. In this story, the young actors play some characters who are not so far from their real lives. That may be one of the reasons why their performances can enliven the scene very much in this story.

FORGET ME NOT (2010, Naphat Chaithiangthum, 30 min, A+++++++++++++++)

2011-11-27T15:28:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf9YXI3fJcI

This gay film makes me cry a bucketful of tears. One of my most favorite films I saw this year.

NÉNETTE (2010, Nicolas Philibert, A++++++++++)

2011-11-27T14:56:00.000+07:00

Talking about the gaze of monkeys reminds me of a film I just saw: NÉNETTE (2010, Nicolas Philibert, A++++++++++). There are a few scenes in this film which let us watch the face and the eyes of the female orangutan for a few minutes, while the orangutan is doing nothing except staring at the camera. After watching the eyes of the orangutan for a few minutes, I felt like crying, and I don't know why. The gaze of the orangutan in this film is extremely powerful, and its tremendous power is unexplainable for me.

I also like it very much that this documentary talks about the three husbands of Nénette and the fact that the zookeepers try to prevent Nénette from having sex with her own son.

I also wonder why there have been many films about monkeys made lately, including:

1.NÉNETTE

2.PROJECT NIM (2011, James Marsh), but I haven't seen it yet.

3.RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES (2011, Rupert Wyatt, A++++++++++)

4.ZOOKEEPER (2011, Frank Coraci, B)

Favorite Old Songs 124: OVERSEA CALL (1985) -- Anri

2011-11-27T12:18:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f4beXsi09M&feature=share

Favorite Music Videos 30: DEEPER UNDERSTANDING -- Kate Bush (2011, Kate Bush)

2011-11-25T00:16:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzqF_gBpS84&feature=share

Favorite Thai Songs 5: GAEW PING GAI -- Gaew Maneesup

2011-11-24T23:21:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpIf5URsEVQ

I like her voice at the beginning of the song very much.

HOME STORIES (1990, Matthias Müller)

2011-11-24T22:33:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tU2B0SWAlGY&feature=related

Thanks to Graiwoot for telling us about this.

I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DAUGHTER LIKE THIS

2011-11-22T23:41:00.000+07:00

This comes from the Argentine comic strip MAFALDA (1964-1973) by Quino.

MY FAVORITE FILMS ABOUT RACISM

2011-11-21T23:06:00.000+07:00

This list is made for Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa. :-)

My favorite films about racism

1.LES AMANTS DE L'OMBRE (2009, Philippe Niang, France)

2.AUSTRALIAN RULES (2001, Paul Goldman, Australia)

3.BETRAYED (1988, Costa-Gavras, UK)

4.ELISE, OR REAL LIFE (1970, Michel Drach, France)

5.THE HEART OF WHITENESS (2006, Rehad Desai, South Africa, documentary)

6.PATIALA HOUSE (2011, Nikhil Advani, India)

7.ROSEWOOD (1997, John Singleton)

8.THIS IS ENGLAND (2006, Shane Meadows, UK)

9.WE SHALL OVERCOME SOMEDAY (2004, Kazuyuki Izutsu, Japan)

10.WHITE MAN'S DOG (2006, Sipho Singiswa, South Africa, documentary)

Film wish list in this topic: SHOOT THE MESSENGER (2006, Ngozi Onwurah, UK), which is described as a cross between TO SIR WITH LOVE and A CLOCKWORK ORANGE.

SOME INFORMATION ON REZA PARSA

2011-11-21T21:56:00.000+07:00

Sonthaya just told me about this blog entry, which is about the shooting of an episode in a Swedish TV series directed by Reza Parsa. Parsa directed BEFORE THE STORM (2000), which is one of my most favorite films of all time. Ingmar Bergman also praised him. Unfortunately, Parsa hasn't become famous during the past 10 years. :-(

http://deborahfronko.blogspot.com/2009/04/hagamannen-shoot.html

My old review on BEFORE THE STORM
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0251091/reviews?start=1

VAMPIRE STRAWBERRY (2011, Widit Thunyapun (aka Nati Punmanee) + Itthinop Opas (aka Boonchu Chearnyim), A+ as guilty pleasure)

2011-11-20T23:16:00.000+07:00

It is easily one of the worst films I have ever seen in my whole life. Everything in it is indescribably bad: bad acting, bad script, bad dialogue, bad editing, bad lighting, bad colorist, etc. The film is full of meaningless dialogue, meaningless shots, meaningless scenes, etc.

Why do I give it A+? Because VAMPIRE STRAWBERRY is the film that makes me laugh the most this year, especially in the first 30 minutes, though I think 90% of what I laugh in this film is "unintentional".

Examples of what I like because it makes me laugh in this film:

1.The mentioning of the Syrian civil war in the opening scene. I think it is the first Thai film I have seen which mentions the Syrian civil war.

2.The bad editing in the following scene. I can't stop laughing at the editing in many action scenes in this film. The shots in these scenes seem not to match with one another.

3.The extremely wooden acting of some actors.

4. The shower scene, which is totally unnecessary.

5. The abrupt cut to the face of one female victim, and the look on that face

6.The repeated shot of the Vampire Sue when his fangs come out. The shot is not funny, but the repeating use of the shot is very funny

7.The shot in which two female victims stand guarding the coffins

8.The heroine's exclaiming in extreme amazement, "I have never seen anything like this before," when she sees the police troop.

9.The portrayal of police officers

10.How the vampire's story is being interrupted many times by the meaningless stories of various police officers.

In conclusion, VAMPIRE STRAWBERRY is as bad as, if not worse than, RACING LOVE (2011, Jetnipat Sasing, F). But while RACING LOVE doesn't give me a laugh, VAMPIRE STRAWBERRY is the film that makes me laugh the hardest this year. A classic shit.

A VOICE LIKE THE SKY, A FACE LIKE A DRUM (2011, Pam Rangsi, D)

2011-11-20T22:39:00.000+07:00

I think everything in this film is very boring, except its mise-en-scène, which reminds me a little bit of KATZELMACHER (1969, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, A++++++++++).

"เสียงเท่าฟ้า หน้าเท่ากลอง" เราดูแล้วรู้สึกเบื่อมากพอๆกับมิดไมล์นะ แต่เราให้ D ไม่ได้ให้ F เพราะเราว่าการจัดภาพในหนังเรื่องนี้มันน่าสนใจดี มันไม่เหมือนหนังไทยยุคปัจจุบัน แต่มันไปเหมือนหนังอย่าง KATZELMACHER (1969, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, A++++++++++) แทน เราว่าการจัดภาพ ในเสียงเท่าฟ้า หน้าเท่ากลอง มันประหลาดๆและมันแหวกแนวดีมาก อย่างเช่นในหลายๆครั้งตัวละครที่คุยกันจะไม่หันหน้าคุยกัน แต่ทุกตัวละครที่คุยกันจะหันหน้าเข้าหากล้องกันหมดทุกตัว อะไรอย่างนี้เป็นต้น

อีกอย่างที่ประหลาดใจก็คือว่า ตอนแรกเรานึกว่าหนังเรื่องนี้จะเป็นหนังแนว "ซาบซึ้ง สมานฉันท์" หรืออะไรทำนองนี้ แต่เนื้อหาของหนังกลับเน้นไปที่การทรยศหักหลังโกงเงินกัน และดูเหมือนตัวละครที่พยายามจะรวบรวมนักดนตรีก็ทำอะไรแทบไม่สำเร็จสักอย่าง เราก็เลยไม่แน่ใจว่า "สาร" ที่หนังเรื่องนี้ต้องการจะสื่อคืออะไรกันแน่

Favorite Thai Songs 4: TRANSVESTITE ALERT -- Jojo Dominant

2011-11-20T20:11:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YowKhJh05C4&NR=1

I wish to see the three transvestites in this mv battle against the other three in the mv Nicki Minaj's SUPERBASS (Parody version) and Azis.

SUPERBASS (PARODY VERSION)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taXrahJIc-8

Azis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9sQZLtsfp8

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 54: YEAH YEAH (2011) -- Waifs & Strays

2011-11-17T23:44:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTA-9fKXADU

FAVORITE QUOTE FROM MICHEL FOUCAULT

2011-11-17T22:09:00.000+07:00

I like what Michel Foucault and Christoph Schlingensief talked about Werner Schroeter's films very much.

Michel Foucault talks about THE DEATH OF MARIA MALIBRAN (1973, Werner Schroeter, A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++) and WILLOW SPRINGS that "They express something that is not attempting to explain what is happening, something that allows you to not even have to begin asking the question.”"

When Werner died Christoph Schlingensief wrote in his blog that he hoped his films would become accessible to a younger audience and find their way into the film school curriculum, not merely because his films were uniquely radical, but also because they were generally unique.

Thanks to Ratchapoom for telling us about this interview:
http://www.filmgalerie451.de/en/filme/mondo-lux/

There is a funny mistake in the interview: the name "Werner Herzog" is used instead of "Werner Schroeter" in one place.

Favorite Old Songs 123: CAN YOU FEEL IT (1992) -- Chez Damier

2011-11-15T23:32:00.001+07:00

I worship the intro of this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hY5DjrWBJwg

Favorite Old Songs 122: LE DORMEUR (1991) -- Pleasure Game

2011-11-14T22:18:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmeCq50sFFg&feature=related

Thai films seen on Tuesday, August 2, 2011

2011-11-13T22:29:00.000+07:00

I can't remember any details of any films now. I apologize if I remember anything wrongly.

1.THE LIGHT HOUSE (2011, shadow play aka Teeranit Siangsanoh, 43:13 min, A++++++++++)
แสงสุริยะ (คล้ายเงา)
Teeranit has made many films about apocalyptic world. This is one of his best. This film is different from many films of Teeranit, because this film is silent, while other films of his usually have powerful soundtrack.

I totally agree with what Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke said about this film. He said that this film might be inspired by, or is reminiscent of, Andrei Tarkovsky, especially NOSTALGHIA (1983).

2.LOSE (2011, Wachara Kanha, 70 min, A+++++)
สูญ (วชร กัณหา)
There are three scenes that I like very much in this film. First, it's the scene in which we see a woman brushes her hair for a very long time. Second, it's the scene in which we see a baby moving around and we hear numerous voices at the same time. Third, it's the scene in which a woman in red dress lying in bed, dying, saliva flowing out of her mouth.

Wachara shows that he still excels at making films which are reluctant to tell their stories. I think he has a story in his mind, but instead of telling it straightforwardly, he only shows us some disconnected images from his story. His films are puzzling, and I like them because of this puzzling quality.

3.HAPPINESS (2011, Chadchon Nonthichan 5 min, A+++++)
สุขขี (ชัดชล นนธิจันทร์)
This is the kind of short films that I like very much. It shows a slice of life, or only an impression of an ordinary moment in an ordinary life. In this film, we see a little boy riding a bicycle, going to swim in a little pond, looking happy, getting out of the pond, and getting on the bicycle.

Yes, this is the real definition of happiness. I totally agree with that. Just enjoy a brief swim in a little pond. I like it very much that the film doesn't try to overemphasize its message, but presents the hero's action in an almost realistic, documentary-like way.

My favorite kind of films don't need great stories, great acting, or great budget, but they need to correspond to my attitude towards life or human beings. This film really fits the description of a kind of films that I like. Just present your true impression of an ordinary moment in an ordinary life. HAPPINESS is an extremely small film, but it gives me tremendous happiness.

4.PARALLEL (2010, Rasika Prasongtham, 6:29 min, A+)
เส้นขนาน (รษิกา ประสงค์ธรรม)
A very lovely lesbian film.

5.UNBEAUTIFUL BOXER (2010, Sirinapa Senapol, 19:21 min, A+)
สู้นะฮ๊า! (ศิรินภา เสนาพล)
UNBEAUTIFUL BOXER is a queer film made by high-school students. The film is funny.

6.TIGER (2010, Phanupong Hongprayoor, 9:03 min, A+)
เสือ (ภาณุพงศ์ ฮงประยูร)
A nice action film.

7.STRINGS (2011, Nattaphon Sakulvanaporn, 9 min, A+/A)
เส้นด้าย (ณัฐพล สกุลวนภรณ์)

8.SOUND ATTACK (2011, Kritmongkon Peantong, B+)
เสียงยึดโลก (กฤษณ์มงคล เพียรทอง)
I think this film can be easily adapted into a feature mainstream film.

Thai films seen on Sunday, July 31, 2011

2011-11-13T19:58:00.000+07:00

I can't remember any details of any films now. I apologize if I remember anything wrongly.

1.DISTANCE (2010, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 55 min, A+++++++++++++++)
สิ่ง-ไหน (ชลสิทธิ์ อุปนิกขิต)

I'm very impressed with the naturalistic tone of the film. I even prefer it to NIGHT BLIND (2010, Chonlasit Upanigkit + Rasika Prasongtham, 40 min). I think NIGHT BLIND reminds me a little bit of some Malaysian arthouse films because NIGHT BLIND has both naturalistic moments and enigmatic moments. But the enigmatic moments are not to be found in DISTANCE.

I also like it very much that the hero of this film is very passive. If I remember it correctly, I think he may like his lesbian friend, but he does not try to act macho at all. He behaves like a really good friend, watching her from afar and helping her when necessary. I also like it very much that the film likes to shoot the hero from behind.

Many scenes in this film seem very real for me. The film is great at capturing some aspects of university students' lives, especially the tumultuous love relationship, the one-sided love, and the time spent with friends. Though these aspects can be found in many Thai short films, I think DISTANCE presents these aspects of students' lives much more realistically and convincingly than others.

Extremely human.

2.HEART (2011, Suppasit Sretprasert, 21:24 min, A++++++++++)
สิ่งเล็กๆที่เรียกว่าหัวใจ (ศุภสิทธิ์ เสร็จประเสริฐ)

The film is unique and very memorable for me. It fuses a fiction story and some clips of famous actors together. I don't know how this film originated, but my friends and I guess the filmmaker might fist have the clips of these famous actors, then he tried to weave these clips into a fiction film by asking ordinary persons who appeared in these clips to star in his film, and then wrote a story which could connect these people, these stars, and these clips together. It's a very interesting idea, and it yields a film which features famous actors but feels very homely at the same time.

I also like the attitude of this film very much. This film is about an elder sister who does not like the fact that her younger sister is very crazy for Mario Maurer. But instead of trying to preach to the audience that you should not be too obsessed with a handsome actor, the film instead seems to say to us that liking a star very much is not wrong at all, because it doesn't harm anyone. The elder sister ends up giving her younger sister a DVD of Mario Maurer.

I like this attitude very much. It doesn't look down on young people, and it corresponds to my belief that people should do whatever they want to do as long as it doesn't harm anyone.

The film features a long scene of Mario Maurer giving a talk about his acting practice to university students, and I think Mario in that scene is much more adorable than in most of his other films.

Suppasit Sretprasert also makes another homely film called LOVE (ครั้งหนึ่ง...เราเคยรักกัน, A++++++++++), which features unconvincing acting, dialogue, and story, but in his films, the word "unconvincing" means "charming". He also makes TIME (2010, 6 min, A+++++) and DREAM (2010, 13 min), which pose some interesting questions about ethics. In conclusion, I like his films very much. His films are unique.

3.FLUORESCENT (2011, Chaiwat Wiansantia, 13 min, documentary, A++++++++++)
สารเรืองแสง (ชัยวัช เวียนสันเทียะ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycEcoH63aWs

This is a very poignant documentary about a talented artist who comes to terms with the fact that he may not become rich, famous and successful, and the fact that though we are talented, our life may not give us many chances to use our full talent. This is the sad truth about human life in general, or about us ordinary people. The artist seems to accept this sad fact, continuing living a simple life, and making his art works in his spare time.

4.WHAT!!! (2011, Prempapan Plittapolkarnpim, 14 min, A++++++++++)
สิ่งประหลาดในสวนหลังบ้าน (เปรมปพันธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)
This film is very haunting. I'm not sure what it's about. I guess it is about a man who locks up a kid in his house until the kid becomes psychotic. The kid ends up killing the man and escaping from the house. But the film does not tell us this story straightforwardly. It shows us some striking, haunting images and lets us connect the story by ourselves.

This film shows that Prempapat has advanced a lot. I hope he continues making haunting films like this.

5.A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MY FAMILY (2011, Wachara Kanha, 97 min, documentary, A+++++)
สารคดีครอบครัวของฉัน (บันทึกเรื่องราวส่วนหนึ่งในครอบครัวของฉัน) (วชร กัณหา)

6.ESSAY CINEMA OF THE COUNTRY-SIDE (2011, Tani Thitiprawat, documentary, 50 min, A+++++)
สารคดีครอบครัวแห่งความสุขของเค่อร์ ภาค 2 (ธนิ ฐิติประวัติ)

7.WI-TE-HUI-TOM (2010, Atipat Kamonpet, 58 min, documentary, A+
สารคดี วิถีห้วยต้ม (อธิปัตย์ กมลเพ็ชร)

I like the ethnic language in this film very much. I think some ethnic languages are rapidly dying, so it is good to preserve these ethnic languages by recording them in films.

8.GOLDEN HEART AGENT (2011, Palakorn Kleungfak, 40 min, A+)
สุดเดชสายลับหัวใจทองคำ (พลากร กลึงฟัก)

9.THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE (2010, Pipat Adeedto, 18min, A+)
สำเริง (พิพัฒน์ อดีตโต)

10.TOILET 3 (2010, Koranan Chuenpichai, 27:11 min, A)
สุขขา 3 (กรนันท์ ชื่นพิชัย)

11.VISIBLE (2010, Phawin Chokethaweesak, animation, 5:24 min, A)
สิ่งที่มองเห็น (ภวิล โชคทวีศักดิ์)

12.COLOURMIND (2010, Zaikwan Khaengkhan, animation, 2:20 min, A-)
สีสันแห่งจินตนาการ (สายขวัญ แข่งขัน)

13.WATER COLOUR (2010, Teerachot Jivorasetkul, 6:54 min, A-)
สีน้ำ (ธีรโชติ จิวรเศรษฐ์กุล)

14.PRECIOUS THING (2011, Thanvimon Onpaphil, 7:57 min, A-)
สิ่งมีค่า (ธารวิมล อ่อนพาปลิว)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTILIGNuQI4

15.TRUE COLOUR (2011, Somphob Sanggerd, 8 min, B+)
สี (สมภพ แสงเกิด)

16.HAPPY LITTLE TIME (2010, Ittisak Euahsunthornwattana, 12:36 min, B)
สุข เล็ก น้อย (อิทธิศักดิ์ เอื้อสุนทรวัฒนา)

Thai films seen on Saturday, July 30, 2011

2011-11-13T17:43:00.001+07:00

I can't remember any details of any films now. I apologize if I remember anything wrongly.

1.GAZE AND HEAR (2010, Nontawat Numbenchapol, 10 min, A+++++++++++++++)
สายตา รับฟัง (นนทวัฒน์ นำเบญจพล)
http://www.mobilelabproject.com/
This film tells us a Thai-styled folklore tale via voiceover while showing us images of beautiful geometric patterns. The tale is very intriguing. The soundtrack is one of the most powerful soundtracks I have heard this year. But what I like the most in this film is the fact that the story and the visual may or may not correspond to each other. Thus, the film provides me two images at the same time: the first image is the geometric patterns that I see with my own eyes; the second image is the image of the king, the queen, the Mother Earth, the mole rat king, and other characters in the story that I see in my mind. Because this film gives me two images at the same time, the pleasure I get from this film is at least double the pleasure I get from any average film.

The film reaches its climax and gives me an orgasm when we can't hear the voiceover for a while. We don't know what happens in the story for a few minutes. But the visual and the sound become more and more intense, and they inspire me to imagine the story by myself. In these few minutes, I don't need the voiceover to tell me the story any more. The picture of the geometric patterns and the electronic music can inspire the audience to imagine what happens next in the story. The ability of the audience to "imagine" is maximized in these few minutes. Before these few minutes, the audience imagines "some pictures" in his mind based on the story told by the voiceover. But in these few minutes, the audience imagines both "the story" and "some pictures of the story" in his mind based on the pictures of the geometric patterns and the electronic music.

Most films don't inspire the audience to imagine anything. The audience is very passive while seeing these films. This film is the opposite of that kind of films. GAZE AND HEAR arouses my imagination to the utmost.

If I have to screen GAZE AND HEAR with other films, I may choose the following films:

1.1 RHYTMUS 21 (1921, Hans Richter), because this film also presents us some geometric patterns
http://www.ubu.com/film/richter_rhythmus.html

1.2 MV: GIVE IT TO ME SLOW -- Greymatter
http://vimeo.com/30016426

1.3 Possibly some films of Oskar Fischinger and Jordan Belson. I haven't seen the films of these two, but I guess the visual of the abstract films of these two might be comparable to GAZE AND HEAR.

1.4 INDIA SONG (Marguerite Duras), because the voiceover and the visual in INDIA SONG do not correspond totally with each other. The voiceover in INDIA SONG sometimes arouses the audience to imagine things which are not present on the screen.

1.5 DECODINGS (1988, Michael Wallin), because the voiceover and the visual in DECODINGS do not correspond totally with each other.

1.6 30 (2010, Tossapol Boonsinsukh), because Tossapol also uses voiceover to tell the story in this film, while presents us the pictures of geometric patterns. However, the geometric patterns in 30 correspond to the story much more than the ones in GAZE AND HEAR.

2.CRYSTALLIZATION TIME (2011, Krisda Phongphaew, 21 min, A++++++++++)
วาเลตกผลึก (กฤษฎา ผ่องแผ้ว)
This film is very unique. I have never seen anything like this before. The film talks about a weird metaphysical theory by showing us a scene of a university classroom in which a lecturer discusses this theory with some curious students. The film only resembles a normal sci-fi film only in its last five minutes when some actions happen. Most sci-fi films about parallel universes are action-thrillers, such as THE ONE (2001, James Wong) and MASTER KEY (2009, Patrice Sauvé, Canada, A+/A). But CRYSTALLIZATION TIME resembles an essay film, instead of an action-thriller film.

3.SIAM PARK CITY (2011, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 45 min, documentary, A++++++++++)
สวนสยาม (ชลสิทธิ์ อุปนิกขิต)
Chonlasit proves it again that he is one of the most promising Thai directors/cinematographers. SIAM PARK CITY captures the daily activities of people who use various public parks in Bangkok. The images are beautiful, but not too beautiful. The film doesn't try to give us a lot of information or messages, but lets us observe these normal people and their normal activities calmly.

4.IN TRAIN (2011, Boripat Plaikeaw, 83:30, documentary, A++++++++++)
เวียนหัว และ เมื่อยก้น (บริพัตร พลายแก้ว)
The film has some boring moments, but a few months passed after I saw this film, I find this film is very memorable. The film makes me envy younger generations very much. I used to go on a trip like this with my friends twenty years ago, but we didn't have a digital video camera at that time, so our trips are only recorded in photos, written diaries, and our own memories which are getting weaker and weaker, not in videos like this.

Korn Kanogkekarin is the star of this documentary. He goes on a trip upcountry with his gay friends, but he carries an upper torso of a handsome mannequin with him, paying no attention to the way other people might think of him. I worship his self-confidence.

My most favorite scene in this film is the scene in which a friend of Korn seems to have a crush on a guy on the train, and consults with his friends if he should make the first move or something like that. I like this kind of lovely moments very much.

Another scene that I like very much is the one in which a straight guy is leaving the group and the camera follows him for a long time for some unidentified reasons. :-)

IN TRAIN may be about a trip, but what I'm interested in this film is not "the location element", but "the human element". I like it very much that the film doesn't focus on "information" about places they visit, because you can find this information elsewhere. What I'm interested is the human reaction to the places and the human reaction to one another. That's why I find this film much more charming than CHAI-LAI: I LOVE YOU (2010, Kowit Daekhuntod, 53:13 min) and HOSPITAL VOLUNTEERS' TRIP TO KANCHANABURI (2010, Tivapon Vongpan, 120 min), which are also documentaries about trips, because IN TRAIN focuses on the deeper side of human beings than the other two documentaries.

IN TRAIN deserves to be analyzed, compared and contrasted with some documentary films about friends, such as I REMEMBER (2011, Authawut Boonyuang, 90 min), DEAR HOME LETTER (ถึงเธอ) (2011, Pattaraporn Werasakwong, A-, (not sure if it's a documentary or not)), 6 OR 5 (2006, Sarawan Weerawat, 56 min), and OUR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER (2010, Wachara Kanha, 48 min). I think the charms of these films depend on

4.1 How close the friends are. The closer the friends are, the more interesting the films will be.

4.2 If the friends dare to express themselves in front of the camera or not. If the friends dare to talk about their private lives, their families, their problems, their fears, their hopes, their love, their hatred, etc, in front of the camera or not. If the friends dare to quarrel with one another in front of the camera or not.

Among this group of films, OUR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER may be my most favorite, because the three friends in this film are close friends and they dare to talk about many things in front of the camera.

5.THE GOLF COURSE (2010, The Underground Office, 5 min, documentary, A++++++++++)
สนามกอล์ฟ (สำนักงานใต้ดิน)
I like many films which possess the power of anger or vengeance within them. THE GOLF COURSE is one of them. It is about some villagers who are angry about the big flood in Nakhon Ratchasima in 2010. The villagers say that some golf courses belonging to aristocratic people are the cause of this big flood, because building these golf courses means destroying large areas of forests which would have helped prevented the big flood. I hadn't heard about this thing before I saw this film. The film gives me a very useful information. There's "the fire of anger" in this film, and it reminds me of such films as THE BANGKOK BOURGEOIS PARTY (2007, Prap Boonpan) for this aspect.

6.KITE (2011, Nuntawut PooPhasuk, 7:30 min, A++++++++++)
ว่าว (นันทวุธ ภูผาสุข)
I like the presentation of beautiful rural areas in this film very much. Rural areas may be not really "heavenly" as presented in this film, but at least the film gives me the "blissful feeling of heaven". For some people who have time and money, they can go on a vacation to some rural provinces and enjoy the real thing. As for me who don't have much free time or money, I can only enjoy "the images of beautiful rural areas" via this kind of films, which include some films by Uruphong Raksasad and Chaiwat Wiansantia.

7.ONE DAY YOU WILL LOVE ME LIKE I LOVE YOU (2011, Wachara Kanha, 50 min, A++++++++++)
สักวันเธอจะรักฉันอย่างที่ฉันรักเธอ (วชร กัณหา)
It's like what I wrote about IN TRAIN. ONE DAY YOU WILL LOVE ME LIKE I LOVE YOU has some boring moments, but a few months passed after I saw this film, I find this film is very memorable. I like the use of music and cheap digital effects in this film very much. This film is like a 50-minute music video of a broken-heart song. There's not much story in this film. But some scenes are very memorable, especially the scene in which the camera focuses on a woman in a train for a long time, and the scene in which the still image of Wachara is increasingly destroyed by some digital effects.

8.ONE NIGHT STAND (2011, Pongtawee Srilasuk, 3:17, A+)
วัน ไนท์ แสตนด์ (พงษ์ทวี ศรีลาศักดิ์)

9.V (2010, Thee Boonkreangkrai, 23:25, A+)
วี (ธีร์ บุณย์เกรียงไกร)

10.GOOD DAY OF KORNLY (2010, Korn Kanogkekarin, 3:51, A+)
วันสบายสบายของน้องกร (กร กนกคีขรินทร์)

11.WHERE IS THE TRUTH LIE (2010, Pirun Anusuriya, 3 min, A+)
ศาลไคฟง (พิรุณ อนุสุริยา)

12.SANAM LUANG (2010, Wuttipan Deepanya, 28 min, A+)
สนามหลวง (วุฒิพันธ์ ดีปัญญา)
Wuttipan also directed ALONG TOGETHER (พบ) (2009, 9 min, A++++++++++).

13.DISCOURSE, CARELESS TALKS, FLYING BIRDS (2011, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, 21 min, A+)
วาทกรรม คำจร วิหคเหินลม (จุฬญาณนนท์ ศิริผล)

14.LOCKED (2011, Non-Touch Promsri, 6 min, A+/A)
สะเดาะ (นนทัช พรหมศรี)

15.MUKRIN'S UTOPIA (2011, Boonyakorn Vanichtantikul, 11:44, A+/A)
โลกสวยของมุกรินทร์ (บุณยกร วาณิชตันติกุล)

16.RUN ALEY, SPOIL ALEY (2011, Krichtiya Suwankasin, 9 min, A+/A)
วิ่งกระแดะฟัด (กฤชติยา สุวรรณกสิณ)
The film shares a scene with TONG, YOU ARE SO DUMP! (ต๋อง นายแน่มาก!) (2011, Porntip Wongnakpan, 12 min). It's the scene in which the main character of TONG, YOU ARE SO DUMP! walks past the heroine of RUN ALEY, SPOIL ALEY. These two films belong to the same film project.

17.STATE, SYN AND TIME (2011, Nuttorn Kungwanklai, 4:58, A+/A)
สถานะ, สภาวะ และกาล (ณัฎฐ์ธร กังวาลไกล)

18.SLEEPING DIRTY (2010, Dollada Chunjuen, A+/A)
สลีพพิ่ง เดอร์ตี้ (ดลลดา ชื่นจันทร์)

19.MINIMAL ANIMAL (2011, Sorayos Prapapan, 1:30, animation, A+/A)
สัตว์เล็ก (สรยศ ประภาพันธ์)

20. WAR GAME (2011, Bunnita Patchana, 1:54, animation, A+/A)
สงครามกลางเมือง (บัญนิตา พัฒน์ชนะ)

21.SIKH COMMUNITY TEMPLE (2011, Manasawee Kitpisut, 10 min, documentary, A)
วัดซิกข์ (มนัสวีร์ กิจพิศุทธิ์)

22.TATTOO COLOR (2010, Thapana Wannapream, 2:38, A)
สัก-ศรี (ฐาปนา วรรณเปรม)

23.WANLEE 2010 (2010, Chaweng Chaiwan, 11:15, A-)
วัลลี 2010 (เชวง ไชยวรรณ)

24.I FEEL THE RAIN. (2010, Prempapat Plittapolkarnpim, 11:33, A-)
สายฝนบนทุ่งนาแห่งความรัก (เปรมปพัทธ ผลิตผลการพิมพ์)

25.THE PROMISE (2011, Tikampon Pupanna, 20, B+)
สัญญาหน้าเสาธง (ทิฆัมพร ภูพันนา)
The film is cinematographically very beautiful, but I'm not personally interested in this kind of story.

26.KARMA (2010, Nujira Pongchaoumdee, 32 min, B+)
เวรกรรม (นุจิรา พงษ์ชะอุ่มดี)

Favorite Old Songs 121: WIGGIN (1988) -- Mayday

2011-11-13T11:29:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmDqDgYwfOc

Favorite Thai Songs 3: KRONGTONG PUNYANO -- FH featuring Wongtanong

2011-11-13T00:13:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKidX2WbSAs&sns=fb

FAVORITE QUOTES FROM JACQUES RANCIÈRE'S OPINIONS ON THE FILMS OF JEAN-MARIE STRAUB AND DANIÈLE HUILLET

2011-11-12T16:20:00.005+07:00

I just finished reading a great article "POLITICS AND AESTHETICS IN THE STRAUBS' FILMS", which is mainly about Jacques Rancière's opinions on the films of Jean-Marie Straub and Danièle Huillet. You can read it here:
http://mubi.com/notebook/posts/politics-and-aesthetics-in-the-straubs-films#dispositif

Some favorite quotes from the article:

" these distinguished people, seated in a garden, make us understand that the logic of profit, the permanence of economic interests and class struggle underlies wars, revolutions, changes of leadership or forms of government. It is a straightforward lesson given across a series of processes of disassociation, gaps between bodies, texts and space."

" in Workers, Peasants: on one side, there are workers and what one could call the soviet ideology that wants to put nature to use, to make roads, to transform it and so on, and to order total mobilization, and, on the other side, one finds peasants, those who agree on the time of germination, of waiting, of the harvest, of rest, of respect for the earth. That is the first aspect. Next, there is nature, which is before speech, and which eventually gives up its place and its power to speech. It’s what is there, what is always there without reason, before all reason, and what does not stop acting, reproducing itself and altering itself at the same time. From which comes the importance of the continual agitation while the men and women are talking: nature doesn’t stop moving. These are insect noises, bird songs, the effects of light on the plants, the trees, on the moss-covered rocks and the dead leaves... The activity of this undomesticated nature is constant. "

"There is most certainly an important evolution over time. I would say that, if an open-air theater is involved, we nevertheless pass from a one kind of theater to another: let’s say from Brecht to Hölderlin or, if you prefer, from a dialectic dispositif to a lyrical dispositif. This is a change of thedispositifs meaning that, I believe, is also a change of Marxism and of Communism between the films of the 1960s and their latest films. here is most certainly an important evolution over time. I would say that, if an open-air theater is involved, we nevertheless pass from a one kind of theater to another: let’s say from Brecht to Hölderlin or, if you prefer, from a dialectic dispositif to a lyrical dispositif. This is a change of thedispositifs meaning that, I believe, is also a change of Marxism and of Communism between the films of the 1960s and their latest films."

" In any case, films continue to live within us, even without commentary: we make our own commentaries on them. In eight or ten days, this film that you have seen this evening will become another thing. Shots, words will leave; a new film will be constructed. You can’t ignore this extension. Memories of films are not uniquely memories of what has been before our eyes at a given moment. Memories of films are memories of everything that, afterward, gets buried. The cinema is made of this sedimentation. Also, if I don’t think that films have to be explained, I believe that one can try to extend them outside of all commentary, interpretive aims."

" The “normal” viewing of a film channels 80% of the elements—the story, the meaning, everything is so mediated that you don’t need to watch everything—whereas the Straubs’ films assume that you must practically integrate all the elements of each shot. In a way, this cinema can be qualified as exemplary because everything in it is visible but this is precisely what is puzzling."

" For the Straubs, the child is not the future of the world."

" the Straubs’ nature is absolutely not a pastoral nature, it is savage, worrisome, cruel and inhuman. It is not idyllic."

" The Straubs seem to think that nothing or almost nothing can be done with actors. Above all because they advocate a certain kind of relationship to the text and actors are not necessarily trained to say or to read texts. Actors are trained to interpret characters, which the Straubs don’t want. They want people who speak and read texts. This means that they are looking for a very material relationship with the text itself. What interests them is to work with actors who not only are not professionals but who are also outside the world of the university and culture"

" The Medvedkine group, or groups actually, stems from another idea. It started in 1967, it lasted until 1974; France was restricted, the France of de Gaulle and Pompidou, in which the workers at Peugeot decided to use cinema to understand their life, their working conditions, because they didn’t see themselves in the media. Except at the time there were no video cameras like today and images couldn’t be made without a minimum of technical knowledge. So they asked filmmakers and technicians close to them in terms of social activism to introduce them, help them, and, concretely, give them lessons. That lasted several months, then, from there, for seven years they made films in which their struggles, their married lives, strikes and doubts appeared. They appropriated their image little by little. It’s a cinema of intervention, reaction and action based on urgency."

" They construct: they construct a very specific space with a precise relationship of voices and bodies. They create a very particular visible universe that assumes an education because it demands attention to the slightest articulation, for example. In Where Lies Your Hidden Smile?, we see a long sequence where the Straubs question the way of pronouncing a letter and the position of the eyes that has to correspond to it. There is such a minutia in the constitution of a space in their work that it is rare for there to be viewers who immediately get it."

Favorite Music Videos 29: COCOON -- Alpines (2011, Ryan Hope)

2011-11-12T12:06:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjR_PmbgJ5M&ob=av2e

Favorite Old Songs 120: R-THEME (DRAMATIC MIX) (1989) -- R-Tyme

2011-11-12T11:24:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZwWoJcfykE

WHY I LIKE "FLUSH TANK" (2011, Tossaphon Riantong, A++++++++++)

2011-11-11T09:51:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w8TmpKw4_g

(ผมขออนุญาตใช้คำว่า "เงี่ยน" ใน comment ข้างล่างนะครับ เพราะผมรู้สึกว่ามันสื่อสิ่งที่ผมคิดอยู่ในใจออกมาได้ตรงที่สุด)

โดยหลักๆก็คือผมดูแล้วรู้สึกดีกับหนังเรื่องนี้มากๆน่ะครับ ซึ่งปัจจัยที่มีส่วนทำให้ผมรู้สึกดีมากๆกับหนังเรื่องนี้รวมถึง

1.เส้นเรื่องของหนังเรื่องนี้ ซึ่งเริ่มจากการที่น้าสาวทึนทึกกับหลานชายทะเลาะกัน และจบลงด้วยการที่หลานชายยอมรับตัวน้าสาวได้ในที่สุด (เขาตัดสินใจที่จะอยู่กับน้าต่อไป) ซึ่งผมก็ไม่รู้เหมือนกันว่าทำไมหลานชายถึงยอมรับตัวน้าสาวได้ในตอนจบ แต่มันก็ทำให้ผมจินตนาการไปว่า บางทีหลานชายอาจจะตระหนักได้ว่า "มนุษย์มันก็แค่นั้นแหละ ต่างก็อยากมีผัวด้วยกันทั้งนั้น", "มนุษย์มันก็เต็มไปด้วยข้อบกพร่องด้วยกันทั้งนั้น", "มนุษย์แต่ละคนมันก็ไม่ได้ดีไปกว่ากันสักเท่าไหร่ แต่ละคนมันก็มีปัญหาอึดอัดคับข้องใจของตัวเอง", "อยู่กับน้าสาวนี่แหละดี เราจะได้แอบไปมีเซ็กส์ได้ตามสบาย" หรือ "กูเงี่ยน กูยังได้ระบายออก น้าโอมเงี่ยน แต่น้าโอมอาจจะไม่ได้ระบายออก น้าโอมแม่งน่าสงสารว่ะ" สรุปว่าผมไม่แน่ใจหรอกครับว่าอะไรทำให้หลานชายตัดสินใจอยู่กับน้าต่อไปในตอนจบ แต่มันทำให้ผมรู้สึกดีที่หนังจบแบบนี้

2.ดูหนังเรื่องนี้แล้วผมจะนึกถึงหนังสั้นกลุ่มนึง ประเภทที่เล่าเรื่องที่ว่า "ลูกสาวทะเลาะกับพ่อแม่ปู่ย่าตายาย เพราะพวกเขาเข้มงวดมากเกินไป แล้วลูกสาวก็หนีออกจากบ้านไป แล้วก็ถูกข่มขืน ก็เลยตระหนักได้ว่า โอ้ พ่อแม่เรานี้แสนดีหนักหนา แล้วก็กลับบ้านในที่สุด" ซึ่งผมเกลียดหนังสั้นกลุ่มนี้มากๆเลยครับ ซึ่งก็ไม่แน่ใจเหมือนกันว่าเป็นเพราะอะไร แต่เวลาผมดูหนังสั้นกลุ่มนี้แล้วผมจะรู้สึกแย่มากๆ

ในทางตรงกันข้าม ผมรู้สึกเหมือนกับว่า "น้าโอมอยากมีผัว" มันเป็นเหมือนภาคกลับของหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียด เพราะถึงแม้เส้นเรื่องมันจะมีบางอย่างคล้ายกัน ซึ่งก็คือ "เริ่มต้นด้วยการที่ผู้ปกครองกับเด็กมีปัญหากัน และจบลงด้วยการเข้าใจกัน หรือการคืนดีกัน" แต่รายละเอียดปลีกย่อยมันทำให้หนังเรื่องนี้กลายเป็นเหมือนขั้วตรงข้ามของหนังกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียด ซึ่งรายละเอียดปลีกย่อยพวกนี้ รวมถึง

2.1 ปกติผมจะรำคาญตัวละครผู้ปกครองในหนังประเภทนี้ แต่ผมกลับอินกับตัว "น้าโอม" ในหนังเรื่องนี้ในระดับนึง เพราะเธอเป็นสาวทึนทึก และไม่ใช่สาวทึนทึกในหนัง "พาฝัน" ประเภท 30+ โสด on sale หรือ 30 กำลังแจ๋ว หรือ SEX AND THE CITY ที่มีความสวยเซ็กซี่อยู่ในตัวมากพอสมควร แต่เป็นสาวทึนทึกที่มีลักษณะความเป็นมนุษย์เดินดินอยู่ในตัวสูงมากๆ

2.2 หนังไม่ได้บอกว่าการที่น้าโอมเข้มงวดกับหลานชายเป็นสิ่งที่ถูกต้องหรือสิ่งผิด หรือสิ่งที่ให้อภัยได้หรือไม่ได้ แต่เหมือนจะให้คนดูตัดสินใจเอาเอง ซึ่งแตกต่างจากหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียด ที่เหมือนจะ "ให้อภัย" กับการกระทำของเหล่าตัวละครพ่อแม่ปู่ย่าตายายในตอนจบ นอกจากนี้ การเข้มงวดของน้าโอม ก็ดูเหมือนจะเป็นการแสดงบทบาทของผู้ปกครองไปอย่างแกนๆ มากกว่าการเข้มงวดอย่างจริงๆจังๆ

2.3 ในหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียดนั้น เรื่องเซ็กส์จะถูกนำเสนอว่าเป็นเรื่องต้องห้าม สิ่งผิด วัยรุ่นไม่ควรเข้าใกล้ วัยรุ่นหญิงชายไม่ควรมั่วสุมอยู่ด้วยกัน ตัวละครพ่อแม่ในหนังสั้นกลุ่มนี้จะไม่มีความต้องการทางเพศหลงเหลืออยู่อีกแล้ว หรือสรุปได้ว่า ในหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียดนั้น

"ตัวละครผู้ปกครอง ซึ่งเป็นตัวละครที่หนังมองว่าเป็นฝ่ายถูกต้อง เป็นตัวละครที่ไม่มีความเงี่ยน

ตัวละครวัยรุ่น ซึ่งเป็นตัวละครที่หนังมองว่าเป็นฝ่ายผิด เป็นตัวละครที่มีความเงี่ยน ซึ่งเป็นสิ่งไม่ถูกไม่ควร"

แต่ใน "น้าโอมอยากมีผัว" นั้น

"ตัวละครผู้ปกครอง มีความเงี่ยน และมันเป็นเรื่องธรรมชาติ

ตัวละครวัยรุ่น มีความเงี่ยน และมันเป็นเรื่องธรรมชาติ

ตัวละครอื่นๆในหนัง ทั้งสาวผมยาวและสาวผมสั้นที่คุยโทรศัพท์ ต่างก็ดูเหมือนจะอยากมีผัว และมันเป็นเรื่องธรรมชาติ"

2.4 ในตอนจบของหนังเรื่องนี้ หนังก็ไม่ได้บอกว่าน้ากับหลานเข้าใจกันหรือให้อภัยกันแต่อย่างใด แต่มันทำให้ผมจินตนาการไปว่า ในตอนจบของหนังเรื่องนี้ หลานอาจจะสามารถยอมรับน้าได้ในฐานะมนุษย์ขี้เหม็นคนนึง หรือมนุษย์ที่เต็มไปด้วยข้อบกพร่องและปัญหาชีวิตมากมายคนนึง ซึ่งแตกต่างไปจาก "ภาพนางสาวไทย" หรือภาพ "เจ้าแม่กวนอิม" ที่ปรากฏอยู่ในฉากแรกๆของหนังเรื่องนี้

ตอนจบแบบนี้มันก็เป็นสิ่งนึงที่แตกต่างไปจากหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียดน่ะครับ เพราะในหนังสั้นกลุ่มที่ผมเกลียดนั้น ตอนจบของหนังประเภทนี้ "ผู้ปกครองจะอยู่ในสถานะสูงกว่าเด็ก" แต่ในตอนจบของน้าโอมอยากมีผัวนั้น ผมรู้สึกว่า "ผู้ปกครองอยู่ในสถานะเท่ากับเด็ก เพราะต่างก็เป็นมนุษย์เงี่ยนๆเหมือนกัน" และผู้ปกครองไม่ได้มีความบริสุทธิ์ผุดผ่องทางกาย, วาจา, ใจ เหมือนกับภาพเจ้าแม่กวนอิมช่วงเปิดเรื่องแต่อย่างใด

3.ผมชอบความ weird หรือความเซอร์เรียลของหนังด้วยครับ หนังมีการใช้ soundtrack เพื่อเพิ่มความเซอร์เรียล และมีการใส่ฉากจุลินทรีย์อะไรเข้ามา ซึ่งผมก็ไม่แน่ใจความหมายของฉากพิสดารเหล่านี้ แต่ดูแล้วรู้สึกดีกับมันครับ

4.โดยปกติแล้วผมจะชอบหนังที่นำเสนอความเงี่ยนของผู้หญิงน่ะครับ ซึ่งตัวละครน้าโอมกับสาวผมยาวในเรื่องนี้ตอบโจทย์ของผมตรงนี้ได้ดีมากๆ และหนังก็ไม่ได้มองว่ามันเป็นสิ่งผิดด้วย

5.ชอบฉากที่น้าโอมพยายามยั่วผู้ชายในออฟฟิศมากๆครับ ผมรู้สึกว่ามันจริงดี น้าโอมเป็นผู้หญิงธรรมดาคนนึง ที่ไม่มีจริตจะก้าน, มารยาร้อยเล่มเกวียน หรือความสามารถพิเศษในทางด้านนี้แต่อย่างใด เธอทำได้แค่นี้แหละ และเธอแทบจะไม่มีวันสู้เด็กรุ่นใหม่ที่มันซิง มันสดกว่าได้ จุดนี้ของหนังมันทำให้ผมนึกถึงชีวิตจริงของตัวเองด้วยเหมือนกัน

Favorite Songs 22: GO (2011) -- Delilah

2011-11-11T07:28:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxNe9jWNuEU

Favorite Music Videos 28: VIDEO GAMES (2011) -- Lana Del Rey

2011-11-10T14:26:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HO1OV5B_JDw

I like the use of super8 footage in this music video. It reminds me of Bruce Conner and Johan Grimonprez.

Favorite Songs 21: NIGHTMARE -- Tot Lina

2011-11-10T14:23:00.000+07:00

Thanks to Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa for telling us about this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZncpGB0bgKE&feature=share

Favorite Old Songs 119: FLASH FLOOD (1995) -- Juan Atkins

2011-11-09T08:21:00.001+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ8fszlzX-Q

Favorite music videos 27: MEXICAN GRAN PRIX -- Mogwai (2011, Patiparn Boontarig)

2011-11-09T08:07:00.000+07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMl6J9VVvpM

I like the animation in this music video. Patiparn also directs TORTURE ROOM (A+++++).

Thai films seen on Friday, July 29, 2011

2011-11-08T23:01:00.002+07:00

1.APOCALYPSE LATER (2011, Palakorn Kleungfak, 15 min, A+)
โลกแตกใน (พลากร กลึงฟัก)
Palakorn still excels in parodying genre films or in making genre films with some twists of his own. His A VERY LONELY SINGLE ISOLATION MAN (2010, 15 min) parodies romantic films. His STILL (2009, 8 min) parodies contemplative films. APOCALYPSE LATER, as the title suggests, makes fun of the recent trend of making apocalyptic films, which are inspired by the year 2012 and the earthquake in Japan in March 2011.

However, APOCALYPSE LATER doesn't directly makes fun of other films. It is more like a comedy apocalyptic film. My most favorite scene is the one in which the survivors say some Buddhist prayers before they go to sleep. This act looks extremely ridiculous in the exact situation. This kind of praying is a daily ritual act, but it is hardly portrayed in Thai films before. I like it very much that this kind of praying is now portrayed in a film, and it is used in this film in an extremely funny way.

It is interesting that many Thai filmmakers make apocalyptic films early this year. I didn't expect that the earthquake in Japan, the year 2012, or the thought about the end of the world would affect many Thai filmmakers as much as this. And they are right to make films about this topic. It is as if they can sense something beforehand or predict something in the future, because a few months after the Marathon Film Festival, there is a big flood in Thailand which creates great suffering, huge chaos, and widespread panic in the central part of Thailand. Some Bangkokians spent the month of October and early November thinking that their normal life will end every day. The atmosphere in Bangkok and the fear of people now makes the current situation not much different from what happens in some apocalyptic films.

It is also interesting that Thai filmmakers treat apocalyptic theme differently. APOCALYPSE LATER and THE LAST NINE DAYS (9 วันสุดท้าย) (2011, Pongsakorn Ruedeekunrungsi, A++++++++++) are comedy films about this theme. FEAR (2010, Chanon Treenet, 20 min, A++++++++++) is a documentary which partly deals with this topic. LOVE (ครั้งหนึ่ง...เราเคยรักกัน) (2011, Suppasit Sretprasert, A+++++) and HEART (สิ่งเล็กๆที่เรียกว่าหัวใจ) (2011, Suppasit Sretprasert, A+++++) talk about the effects of natural disasters in a very lovely way. THE WOMB IN AQUARIUM (2010, Napat Treepalawisetkun, A++++++++++) is a sci-fi film dealing with the repressive society after the big flood. Teeranit Siangsanoh also makes some poetic apocalyptic films, including DARK WORLD, IN THE CITY (2010, 50:22 min), and THE LIGHT HOUSE (แสงสุริยะ) (2011, 43:13 min).

2.WILL YOU LEAVE ME TO DIE? (2011, Thip Sae-tang, 8 min, documentary, A+)
ลมหายใจรวยริน ริมแม่น้ำเจ้าพระยา: เรื่องของเขา หนังเรื่องของเรา หนังเรื่องของใคร? (ทิพย์ แซ่ตั้ง)

The subject of this film is interesting--a 200-year-old house in Bangkok. I also like it very much that Thip does not oversentimentalize the issue. I also wonder if the house is inundated now. I hope it survives the big flood.

I think the topic of old buildings is rarely touched by Thai documentarians. Personally I think old buildings are charming, because I like to imagine about the people who used to live there many years ago.

3.THE GRATEFUL SON (2011, Pattarapong Bunhor, 6 min, A+)
ลูกเทวดายอดกตัญญู (ภัทรพงศ์ บุญห่อ)
I like the homely quality of the film. Normally I don't like moralistic films, especially the ones which are beautifully made by rich university students. This film is moralistic, but its homely quality makes me forgive its moral lesson.

4.BE INNOCENT (2011, Thanet Kiatniyakrit, 15 min, A+/A)
เล่ห์เดียงสา (ธเนศ เกียรตินิยกฤต)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIc1HwkQHCs

This film is great. I would like to give this film A++++++++++, because I like its concept, its execution, its performances, etc.

However, my personal bias makes me unable to love this film wholeheartedly, because I identify myself too much with the villainess or the anti-heroine of this film. The young girl who tries to imitate "the stereotyped villainess in Thai TV series" in this film reminds me of myself. I am the one who is extremely fascinated by villainess or anti-heroines in Thai TV series, such as Welulee in PLEARNG PAI (เพลิงพ่าย), Pitawan in MAYA, or the Queen Anantip in PLEARNG PRANANG. So when BE INNOCENT ends by suggesting that some children may imitate the killing in Thai TV series, I'm not sure I agree with this kind of thinking. I'm just afraid that this kind of thinking will support the censorship, which I'm totally against. Of course several children may imitate bad things in television, but I don't think it is the reason why general people should be deprived of the right to enjoy such TV series as PLEARNG PAI.

5.NEMESIS (2011, Tharadol Kongnuntakul, 25 min, approximately A+/A)
ลงทัณฑ์ (ธราดล คงนันทกุล)
I didn't see the first few minutes of this film. What I like very much in this film is its serious tone and its macho world, which I don't see much in Thai short films. The film somehow reminds me of such macho films as MEAN STREET BLUES (1997, Kid Suwonsorn, A+).

6.THE BREATH OF LONGING (2011, Pirun Anusuriya, B+)
ลมหายใจของความคิดถึง (พิรุณ อนุสุริยา)

7.FLESH AND BLOOD (2010, Taviras Amatyakul, 25 min, D)
เลือดสีเดียวกัน (ทวิรัส อมาตยกุล)
I'm not sure why I feel bad after seeing this film. The film is actually not bad at all. Its cinematography is stunning. Maybe its beauty suffocates me. I also don't like it that the soldier in this film is portrayed as a calm man whose manner reminds me of stereotyped Thai heroes, while the red-shirted man in this film is portrayed as a hot-blooded person. In conclusion, the film is not bad and it has something interesting in it, but I just feel bad after seeing it.

I also saw DARK WORLD (โลกมืด) (2010, Teeranit Siangsanoh, 52:33 min, A+++++), which was shown on that day, but I saw it outside the festival.
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/10/dark-world-2010-shadow-play-aka.html

AND NOW THE PRESIDENT WILL TALK ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT (2011, Sitthichai Pleantongdee, 17:49 min, documentary, A+++++++++++++++)

2011-11-08T20:16:00.003+07:00

Thai films seen on Thursday, July 28, 2011

1.AND NOW THE PRESIDENT WILL TALK ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT (2011, Sitthichai Pleantongdee, 17:49 min, documentary, A+++++++++++++++)
เรียนเชิญท่านประธานกล่าวรายงานวัตถุประสงค์ของโครงการ (สิทธิชัย เปลี่ยนทองดี)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb5yGGo4kqU

What I like very much in this film is its sincerity. The film depicts a group of university students who went on a project to improve a rural village. The film doesn't try to make this project look more important than what it really is. The most impressive scene in the film is the one in which the university students try to find some papaya for cooking. The film depicts "life", not "messages" nor "lessons".

2.THERE WILL BE DRAMA (2011, Janenarong Sirimaha, 9:43 min, A+++++++++++++++)
เรื่องน้ำเน่าของ "พลอย" (เจนณรงค์ ศิริมหา)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YChMR5WXNNE

After making READ ME! (2008, 17 min, A+++++++++++++++), Janenarong comes back this year and proves that he is still one of the best melodrama filmmakers. What I like very much in his films is that they are not ordinary melodramas. The dialogue and the actions of the characters in THERE WILL BE DRAMA are extremely illogical, thus extremely funny, and remind me of some absurd or surreal films. For example, when Woman A gives a drink to Woman B, Woman B doesn't drink it, but pours the water over her own hand, and says, "I'm sorry, but I drink water via my pores." When Woman A and Woman B quarrels, suddenly Woman A performs a Thai classical dance without any reasons. This kind of dialogue and actions can only come from a really creative mind.

What is great in Janenarong's films include great ideas, great scripts, great editing, great performances, and great casting. I hope he will keep on making films like this.

However, the reason why this film is my second most favorite film of the day, instead of my most favorite, is because Sitthichai's film makes me feel "free" to feel anything about it. THERE WILL BE DRAMA makes me laugh and thrills me a lot, but I know that my laughs and my excitement comes from the clever calculation of the director.

3.A MOMENT IN A RAIN FOREST (2010, Eakalak Maleetipawan, 14 min, A++++++++++)
เราจะข้ามเวลามาพบกัน (เอกลักษณ์ มาลีทิพย์วรรณ)
This film is one of the best films inspired by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film gets closer to Apichatpong's filmic universe than other films I have ever seen. However, I have seen it only once, and I think it is not the kind of film that is easy to comprehend in only one viewing.

4.FATE (2011, Chawagarn Amsomkid, 11:30 min, A+)
เรื่องของเวรกรรม (ชวการ อ่ำสมคิด)
After making MY HUSBAND (UNCENSORED) (2008, A+++++++++++++++), which I think is one of my most favorite cult films of all time, Chawagarn comes back this year with an essay film. A scene in this film is extremely funny--the one in which the camera depicts a couple in silence for a long time, before the woman says to the man, "We should break up," and the man complains in voiceover that the scene makes him wait for too long for this moment.

I can't remember other things in this film now, but I remember that the thoughts or ideas presented in this film are not extremely interesting for me. So while I may like the form of this film, because I like essay films in general, I feel that the content of this film is only moderately interesting.

5.A STORY IN A CAR (2011, Wachara Kanha, 4 min, documentary, A+)
เรื่องราวในรถ (วชร กัณหา)
The film captured the moment when Wachara quarreled with his mother because he thought that his mother spent too much money for his little brother in an inappropriate way. This is the drama of "real life". This is a part of human beings. And it is hard to judge who does wrongly or rightly in this film. Is Wachara justified in blaming his mother? Does he envy his little brother too much?

6.WE WILL BE ON TV (2011, Pimpet Pimthong + Nipaporn Kunsing, 9 min, documentary, A+/A)
เราจะไปออกทีวี (พิมพ์เพชร พิมพ์ทอง + นิภาพร ขันสิงห์)

7.MY MISTAKE (2010, Pitchaya Nivitanont, 2:21 min, animation, A)
เรื่องเข้าใจผิด (พิชญา นิวิตานนท์)

8.ROOMMATE (2011, Theerapat Wongpaisarnkit, 10:07 min, A/A-)
รูมเมท (ธีรภาส ว่องไพศาลกิจ)

9.PSYCHOSIS (2010, Anuphap Autta, 20:08 min, A-)
โรคจิต (อานุภาพ อุตถา)
หนังมันเหมือนมีจุดหักมุมแค่จุดเดียวน่ะ ซึ่งเป็นจุดหักมุมที่เราพอเดาได้ตั้งแต่ต้น แล้วพอมันเหมือนมีจุดที่น่าสนใจแค่อย่างเดียว ซึ่งก็คือการหักมุมในตอนจบ มันก็เลยทำให้ส่วนอื่นๆดูไม่น่าสนใจเท่าที่ควร เราว่าส่วนอื่นๆของหนังมันดู "ปานกลาง" น่ะ คือพล็อตหนังแบบนี้อาจจะทำเพียงแค่ 5 นาทีจบก็ได้ ไม่ต้องถึง 20 นาที แต่ถ้าหากจะทำหนังยาว 20 นาที พล็อตก็ควรจะซับซ้อนมากกว่านี้ หรือพล็อตอาจจะเหมือนเดิม แต่ควรจะสร้างเสน่ห์ให้กับรายละเอียดต่างๆได้มากกว่านี้

ถ้าหากเราเป็นผู้กำกับ เราอาจจะทำหนังเรื่องนี้ให้เป็น mockumentary นะ คือทำเป็นเหมือนกับว่าหนังถ่ายจากกล้องของผู้ชายโรคจิตตลอดทั้งเรื่อง เป็นกล้องที่ไปแอบถ่ายผู้หญิงเซ็กซี่ตามจุดต่างๆ ก่อนที่คนถ่ายจะ...ในตอนจบ

ถ้าหากผู้กำกับจะเอาดีกับหนังโรคจิตแบบนี้ เราขอแนะนำว่าให้ดูหนังอย่าง THE WITCH (Alwa Ritsila) หรือ THE STORY ABOUT YOU AND ME (Alwa Ritsila) เป็นตัวอย่างนะ เราว่าหนังสองเรื่องนี้แหละที่นำเสนอความโรคจิตของตัวละครออกมาได้อย่างน่าสนใจตลอดทั้งเรื่อง
http://vimeo.com/14085858
http://vimeo.com/13837222

10.THEATRES (2011, Wachara Kanha + Teeranit Siangsanoh, 80 min, B+)
โรงหนัง (วชร กัณหา + ธีรนิติ์ เสียงเสนาะ)
My most favorite scene in this film is the one in which the camera secretly records the reflection of a beautiful woman on a glass wall of a fast food restaurant. The scene is a little bit long, and it gives me excitement because I didn't know if the woman would know about it or not. So I waited to see if she would get angry and scold the filmmakers. I like this scene very much, because it reminds me of myself. For example, when I see a handsome guy in a sky train, I will secretly look at his reflection on the opposite glass wall from time to time.

However, this film is the worst film made by the Underground Office in my opinion. The film deals with the various aspect of "cinema" in the lives of the filmmakers, but the film lacks the poetic touch. Many parts of the film are a little bit boring, and these parts are joined together crudely, not poetically.

11.THE HOPE (2010, Saranya Premjai, 15 min, C+)
เรื่องเล่าของหมอ (สรัญญา เปรมใจ)

MARATHON FILM FESTIVAL GAME PART 4

2011-11-08T13:17:00.001+07:00

You can find MARATHON FILM FESTIVAL GAME PART 1 here (in Thai):
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/08/marathon-2011-game.html

MARATHON FILM FESTIVAL GAME PART 2
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/09/marathon-film-festival-game-part-2.html

MARATHON FILM FESTIVAL GAME PART 3
http://celinejulie.blogspot.com/2011/09/marathon-film-festival-game-part-3.html

This game is inspired by Graiwoot Chulphongsathorn.

The questions below mostly concern Thai films which were shown in the Marathon Film Festival from 1997 to 2011, but also concern foreign films and Thai films shown outside the festival.

The word "film" here includes all kinds of moving images.

Answer these questions and your life will be better:

19. Discuss how the performances of stage actors/actresses contribute to the success of these films.

19.1 BLIND (2008, Kanjana Akasin), starring Sasapin Siriwanij and Kusuma Thepparak

19.2 BODILY FLUID IS SO REVOLUTIONARY (2009, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke), starring Athapol Anunthavorasakul, Watcharapong Kanjanakrit, and Sawanee Utoomma

19.3 A CHRONICLE OF LOVE AND PAIN (2009, Kanchat Rangseekansong), starring Wanatsanan Sasom

19.4 FAIRY FEMININE (2009, Arpapun Plungsirisoontorn), starring Sumontha Suanpolrat
http://vimeo.com/5754635

19.5 HASAN (2008, Attapon Pamakho), starring Suphasawatt Purnaveja and Pavinee Samakkabutr

19.6 HUNGRY OR FULL (2009, Anuchit Muanprom), starring Watcharapong Kanjanakrit

19.7 JIM (2005, Tosaporn Mongkol), starring Farida Jiraphan

19.8 KONTHAN (2010, Witchupong Sukhavichai), starring Montree Wongbutra

19.9 LOVE IS (NOT) MAD (2008, Tosaporn Mongkol), starring Pinthip Satprertprai

19.10 MAE NAK (1997, Pimpaka Towira), starring Mullika Tangsa-ngob

19.11 MIDNIGHT RAINBOW (2008, Patha Thongpan), starring Duangjai Hirunsri

19.12 MOTHER (2011, Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul), starring Natthaya Nakawech

19.13 MY LOVE TV (2011, Duangporn Pakavirojkul), starring Sumontha Suanpolrat

19.14 PANATIPATA (2010, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit), starring Sawanee Utoomma
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYu4VcvNbmM

19.15 QING (2011, Boonyanuch Kraithong), starring Sasapin Siriwanij

19.16 69 (201, Somkid Phukpong), starring Sawanee Utoomma

19.17 STAINED (2009, Manasrawee Wongpradu), starring Pattarasuda Anuman Rajadhon

19.18 TAKE A MESSAGE (2005, Maythus Chaichayanon), starring Jaturachai Srichanwanpen

19.19 THAI FAMILY (2009, Yingsiwat Yamolyong), starring Donruedee Jamraschai and Montree Wongbutra

19.20 THIS CONSTRUCT CAN SERVE NO PURPOSE ANYMORE (2008, Sathit Sattarasart), starring Duangjai Hirunsri

19.21 WASABI (2007, Asit Wangsuekul), starring Shogo Tanikawa

19.22 WOMAN I (2010, Nuntanat Duangtisarn), starring Nophand Boonyai, Sasithorn Panichnok, Sumontha Suanpolrat, and Ornanong Thaisriwong

20. If there's a book called "TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCES AND THEIR RELEASES THROUGH THAI CINEMA", which films among these do you think fit to be discussed in this book? And why?

20.1 AT LEAST/MODERATELY/TREMENDOUSLY (อย่างน้อย/อย่างกลาง/อย่างมาก) (2011, Tritos Termarbsri, 90 min)

2.0.2 BANG-KERD-KLOAW (บังเกิดเกล้า) (2011, Kamontorn Eakwattanakij, 35 min)
http://vimeo.com/25540318

20.3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF MEMORY (2010, Chulayarnnon Siriphol)

20.4 CITIZEN JULING (2008, Ing K + Manich Sriwanichpoom + Kraisak Choonhavan)

20.5 THE GIRL WHO LIKE TO CALL HER HOUSE (2010, Suparom Ronyut, Theemaporn Thanapala, La-ongsri Kongkachasing, 20 min)

20.6 LETTER FROM THE SILENCE (2006, Prap Boonpan, 5:11 min)

20.7 ONE DAY YOU WILL LOVE ME LIKE I LOVE YOU (สักวันเธอจะรักฉันอย่างที่ฉันรักเธอ) (2011, Wachara Kanha, 50 min)

20.8 TEARS (2003, Patana Chirawong, 13 min)

20.9 TSU (2005, Pramote Sangsorn)

20.10 WE WILL FORGET IT AGAIN (2010, Napat Treepalawisetkun, 9 min)

21. Which films below do you think display the ecstatic confluence of music and motion?

21.1 AGERU (2010, Tossapol Boonsinsukh)
http://www.youtube.com/user/nangtoszlong#p/u/3/gkrgi1wrJMg

21.2 BUNGALOWZEN: THE AMERICAN TRILOGY (2004, Taiki Sakpisit, 19 min)

21.3 DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY BAG! (1997, Surachai & Manorom, 5 min)

21.4 FIREFLIES (2005, Chawit Waewsawangwong, 4:12 min)

21.5 FOURTH WORLD (พื้นที่ในสำนึก) (2007, Chayanis Wongthongdee + Techanan Jirachotrawee, 13 min)

21.6 HAPPY EXISTENTIALISM (อัตถิภาวะนิยมสุขสันต์) (Phaisit Phanphruksachat, 6 min)

21.7 MV: DANCIN' MOOD -- Super Glass Ska Ensemble (2009, Chardchakaj Waikawee)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSCKibyrOsQ

21.8 MV: KHOR BORG -- Photo Sticker Machine (2001, Wit Pimkanchanapong, 4 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8qYz20N_yg

21.9 MV: ONE RAI STI -- Soundlanding (2007, Winai Kitcharoen)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fZ0U9JT2x0

21.10 MV: SAWANG PAI SAWANG MA (2010, Sonthaya Subyen)

21.11 MV: SUPER BASS -- Nicki Minaj (Parody version) (2011, Pitchayakorn Sangsuk)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taXrahJIc-8

21.12 ONE DAY YOU WILL LOVE ME LIKE I LOVE YOU (สักวันเธอจะรักฉันอย่างที่ฉันรักเธอ) (2011, Wachara Kanha, 50 min)

21.13 PAMELA, POUR TOUJOURS (2005, Alain Bourges, France)
http://vimeo.com/3782820

21.14 PIECES AND PIZZA (2010, Pesang Sangsuwan, 9 min)

21.15 T-BONE COME TO TOWN (2001, Wit Pimkanchanapong, 4 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ez2wGNXNvE

21.16 A TRANSVESTITE DANCING IN FRONT OF MORLUM STAGE (2011, anonymous)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F21PrroWvvY

21.17 TWILIGHT VIDEO IN AFTERNOON (2007, Rachawadee Komolsut, 17:22 min)

21.18 WOOHOO (อัศจรรย์สวยข้ามคืน) (2010, Pitchanon Jenbanjong, 6:47 min)

22. Jean-Luc Godard wrote in 1964, "There are several ways of making films. Like Jean Renoir and Robert Bresson, who make music. Like Sergei Eisenstein, who paints. Like Stroheim, who wrote sound novels in silent days. Like Alain Resnais, who sculpts. And like Socrates, Rossellini I mean, who creates philosophy. The cinema, in other words, can be everything at once, both judge and litigant.

Misunderstandings often arise from the failure to remember this truth. Renoir, for instance, may be accused of being a bad painter, whereas no one would say this of Mozart. Resnais may be accused of being a bad storyteller, whereas no one would think of saying this of Giacometti. The whole, in other words, is confused with the part, denying either one the right of exclusion as well as inclusion.

This is where the trouble begins. Is the cinema catalogued as a whole or a part? If you make a Western, no psychology; if you make a love-story no chases or fights; if you make a light comedy, no adventures; and if you have adventures, no character analysis

Woe unto me, then, since I have just made LA FEMME MARIÉE, a film where subjects are seen as objects, where pursuits by taxi alternate with ethnological interviews, where the spectacle of life finally mingles with its analysis: a film, in short, where the cinema plays happily, delighted to be only what it is."

Do you think if each of the film below "plays happily, delighted to be only what it is"? And why? You should also notice that crossing the genre boundaries can be considered "an act of freedom" in the case of some films, while mixing some genres together can be considered "the norm" in the case of other films.

22.1 AT LEAST/MODERATELY/TREMENDOUSLY (อย่างน้อย/อย่างกลาง/อย่างมาก) (2011, Tritos Termarbsri, 90 min)

22.2 BANGKOK KUNGFU (2011, Yuthlert Sippapak)

22.3 A BRIEF HISTORY OF MEMORY (2010, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, 14 min)

22.4 DISAPPEAR (อำพราง) (2010, Tani Thitiprawat, 26 min)

22.5 DONT' WARM EGGS IN MICROWAVE OR ELSE THEY WILL EXPLODE! (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh, 14 min)

22.6 THE FANCIFULNESS OF THE UNIVERSE (ความฟุ้งของจักรวาล) (2010, Krit Twinwawit, 40 min)

22.7 FRIENDS (2010, Pichanund Laohapornsvan, 63 min)

22.8 FUENG (2010, Teeranit Siangsanoh, Wachara Kanha, Tani Thitiprawat)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBIkfdi1m4s

22.9 LIKE REAL LOVE (2008, Anocha Suwichakornpong, 38 min)

22.10 MARIJUANA GIRL (แม่ดอกกัญชา) (1977, Dokdin Gunyamarn)

22.11 MOTHER (2011, Vorakorn Ruetaivanichkul)

22.12 MYSTERIOUS OBJECT AT NOON (2000, Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

22.13 PANYA RAENU (ปัญญา เรณู) (2011, Bin Banluerit)

22.14 THE POB'S HOUSE (บ้านผีปอบ) (2010, Ukrit Sa-nguanhai, 15 min)

22.15 REMEMBRANCE (กาลานุสติ) (2010, Sittiporn Racha)

22.16 A TOUGH CREATURE WHO BURDENS THE EARTH (สัตว์วิบากหนักโลก) (2004, Phaisit Phanphruksachat)

22.17 UPTOGU (2011, Pachara Yang, 19:50 min)

22.18 WHY DO YOU JUMP? (โดด) (2011, Korn Kanogkekarin, 19 min)

23. Ray Carney wrote, "Forget about saying something big. Forget Kane, 2001, and Blade Runner, and bloated, puffed-up metaphors about solitude, technology, or angst. Big ideas are trite and obvious. Say something small and particular. That’s hard. Tell the truth about a boy and a girl breaking up. That’s plenty of truth for one movie. All the truth we really need."

Discuss how Carney's quote may or may not be applied to each of the films below:

23.1 BLUE LOVE (2011, It Khaena)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gd38MNB1zfQ

23.2 DARKEN SKY (ฟ้าสีเทา) (2010, Anuwat Upanun, 27 min)

23.3 DAW (2009, Wasunan Hutawach, 7 min)

23.4 DISTANCE (สิ่ง-ไหน) (2010, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 55 min)

23.5 HUNGRY OR FULL (2009, Anuchit Muanprom)

23.6 THE ORDINARY ROMANCE (2005, Teekhadet Watcharathanin, 85 min)

23.7 SHE WITH ME (ชีวิตมี) (2009, Anusak Fongsanuwong, 30 min)

23.8 STILL (2008, Wisarut Deelorm, 52 min)

23.9 SWEETHEART (สุดที่รัก) (2010, Woratep Tummaoros, 20 min)

23.10 TERRIBLY HAPPY (สุดสะแนน) (2010, Pimpaka Towira)

23.11 THERE (2008, Rajjakorn Potito, 65 min)
http://vimeo.com/22645716

23.12 UNLIKENESS (นอกหน้าต่าง) (2011, Pitchnut Suktorn, 26:22 min)

23.13 ZERO (2010, Kriangkrai Watananiyom, 30 min)

24. Ray Carney said that Mike Leigh and John Cassavetes " show us how extraordinary the most ordinary life can be. They show us that it’s not the complexity of events that makes for interest but the complexity of a character’s feelings.

The turning points in life usually occur in the simplest settings and situations. Not racing somewhere in a car, but sitting in a room and suddenly realizing something. Not yelling and screaming, but reading a magazine and feeling bored or discouraged. If you feel your character has to have something extraordinary happen to her to make her interesting, ask yourself why ordinary life does not matter enough to hold your interest."

Discuss how Ray Carney's quote above may or may not be applied to the following films, and why?:

24.1 DINNER (2005, Sivaroj Kongsakul)

24.2 FLUSH TANK (น้าโอมอยากมีผัว) (2011, Tossaphon Riantong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5w8TmpKw4_g

24.3 HAPPINESS (สุขขี) (2011, Chadchon Nonthichan)

24.4 LET'S EAT (2011, Wasunan Hutawach)

24.5 ON THE ROAD (2010, Thepmanee Kittitawornkul)

24.6 THE OTHER WORLD (2007, Chutchon Ajanakitti)

24.7 OUR LAST NIGHT TOGETHER (ค่ำคืนสุดท้าย) (2010, Wachara Kanha, 48 min)

24.8 SHE IS READING NEWSPAPER (2005, Tossapol Boonsinsukh)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWwOcpknjLA

24.9 STUDENT (2005, James Prutwarasin)

24.10 TO (2010, Uruphong Raksasad, 16 min)

24.11 A WEEK'S VACATION (1980, Bertrand Tavernier, France)

24.12 A YEAR HENCE (2011, Rachakorn Potito)

24.13 YESTERDAY (2008, Sompot Chidgasornpongse)

25. Jonas Mekas wrote 39 years ago, "The most beautiful movie poetry will be revealed someday in home-movie footage. The day is close when home movies will be appreciated as beautiful folk art. Time is laying a veil of poetry over them."

Discuss how Mekas' quote may or may not be applied to the following films:

25.1 AND NOW THE PRESIDENT WILL TALK ABOUT THE OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT (เรียนเชิญท่านประธานกล่าวรายงานวัตถุประสงค์ของโครงการ) (2011, Sitthichai Pleantongdee, 18 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb5yGGo4kqU

25.2 AOMM (2008, Somchai Vachirachongkol, 30 min)

25.3 FRAGRANCE OF THE WIND (2007, Chaiwat Wiansantia)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTDlZbNZQaM

25.4 FROM NACHUAK TO BANGKOK (2005, Siwadol Ratee, 83 min)

25.5 GHOSTS (2005, Anocha Suwichakornpong)

25.6 HERE COMES THE SUN (2008, Supakit Seksuwan, 7 min)

25.7 HOME VIDEO (2008, Yanin Pongsuwan, 14 min)

25.8 HOUSE OF VIEW MOM DAD AND SOMETIME OREO (2009, Thakoon Khempunya, 10 min)

25.9 IN TRAIN (เวียนหัว และ เมื่อยก้น) (2011, Boripat Plaikaw, 83:30 min)

25.10 I REMEMBER (2011, Authawut Boonyuang, 90 min)

25.11 MATERIAL FICTION: A BIOGRAPHY OF THE AMULET (2008, Prap Boonpan)

25.12 ME AND MY VIDEO DIARY (2010, Tani Thitiprawat, 30 min)

25.13 THE MORNING ATMOSTPHERE AT MY HOME AT SIX O'CLOCK (บรรยากาศยามเช้าที่บ้านตอน 6 โมง) (2011, Wachara Kanha)

25.14 MRS. NUAN WHO CAN RECALL HER PAST LIVES (2010, Chulayarnnon Siriphol)

25.15 MUSIC VIDEO: UP TO YOU (YUCHAROEN VERSION) (2011, Eakarach Monwat, 4 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JU5Q3OCIxc

25.16 MY GRANDFATHER (2008, Pichet Smerchua, 45 min)

25.17 MY MOTHER AND HER DARKNESS (แม่กับแมงเม่า) (2008, Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_PX16nlFD4

25.18 MY ROOM AND I (2010, Ka-nes Boonyapanachoti, 20 min)

25.19 MY SONG CLASSROOM (หนังสือรุ่น) (2005, Benjaphan Rungsubhatanond, 14 min)

25.20 A NEANGLY FAIRYTALE (BREAKDOWN: SIDE STORY) (2009, Nattaphan Boonlert, 21 min)

25.21 AN ORDINARY STORY (เรื่องธรรมดา) (2007, Meathus Sirinawin, 46 min)

25.22 OUR FILM (หนังของเรา) (2005, Atthasit Somchob, 22 min)

25.23 A PLACE OF DIFFERENT AIR (สถานต่างอากาศ) (2008, Chaloemkiat Saeyong)

25.24 SIAM SQUARE (1998, Chanarai Sutthibutr, 22 min)

25.25 SMALL WORLD (2008, Wasunan Hutawach)

25.26 SUNDAY (2010, Siwapond Cheejedreiw, 24 min)

25.27 TAN (2007, Wanweaw Hongwiwat + Weawwan Hongwiwat, 5 min)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjBslkQ9hPQ

25.28 THERE, THERE (2006, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit)

25.29 WANG YUEN HAB (วังยื่นหาบ) (2008, Sompong Soda, 35 min)

25.30 WHEN I DANCE (ผม ตัวผม และไดอารี่ของผม) (2006, Unnop Saguanchat, 90 min)

End of the Game

Thanks to every filmmaker mentioned in this game who have made films which give me so much pleasure during the past 15 years.

Favorite Old Songs 118: POSITIVE EDUCATION (1993) -- Slam

2011-11-08T09:45:00.001+07:00

Listening to a song like this gives me as much excitement as watching the films SWORDSMAN II or REIGN OF ASSASSINS.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4dSRpSnPOU