MY SCHEDULE

MY SCHEDULE

WED 30 MAY

1800 THE HARA WOMAN WORKERS STRUGGLE (1975, Jon Ungpakorn, 52 MIN) BACC

1930 JUST ANYBODY (LE PREMIER VENU) (2008, Jacques Doillon) Alliance

THURS 31 MAY

1500 SOUL KITCHEN (2009, Fatih Akin, Germany, 99 min)

1700 PRINCESS (2010, Arto Halonen, Finland, 104 min)

1850 SONNY BOY (2011, Maria Peters, Netherlands, 130 min)

FRI 1-MON 4 JUNE Going upcountry (อาจจะไปต่างจังหวัด)

TUES 5 JUNE

1500 EVERLASTING MOMENTS (2008, Jan Troell, Sweden, 131 min)

1730 A PERFECT DAY (2008, Ferzan Ozpetek, 105 min)

1915 FOR 80 DAYS (2010, Jon Garaño + José María Goenaga, Spain, 104 min)

WED 6 JUNE

1500 MORGEN (2010, Marian Crisan, Romania, 100 min)

1700 THE SUBSTITUTE (2007, Ole Bonnedal, Denmark, 93 min)

THURS 7 JUNE

1445 UN BUDA (2005, Diego Rafecas, Argentina, 115 min)

1720 THE YELLOW ROBE (1967, Lester Jame Peries, Sri Lanka, 106 min)

1920 MATTHIEU RICARD, ON THE PATH TO COMPASSION (2012, Jeanne Mascolo de Filippis, France, 52 min)

FRI 8 JUNE

1430 TOKYO WAKA: A CITY POEM (2012, John Haptas + Kristine Samuelson, Japan, 63 min)

1700 OLD DOG (2011, Pema Tseden, China, 93 min)

1900 THE CATCH (Rithy Panh, Cambodia, 93 min)

SAT 9 JUNE

1315 SEMSHOOK (2010, Siddharth Anand Kumar, India, 116 min)

1535 SCARS (2011, Lim Woo-seong, South Korea, 65 min)

1710 SHUGENDO NOW (2010, Jean-Marc Abela + Mark Patrick McGuire, Japan/Canada, 91 min)

1850 COME, COME, COME UPWARD (1989, Im Kwon-taek, South Korea, 134 min)

SUN 10 JUNE

1100 TALKING HEART (1968, U Thu Kha, Myanmar, 150 min)

1400 CRAZY WISDOM (2011, Johanna Demetrakas, USA, 92 min)

1555 AN ARMY OF PEACE (1998, Chheng Daravuth Kosal, Cambodia, 52 min)

1710 THREE MASKS OF EXISTENCE (2012, Gunpawitr Poowadolwisit, Thailand, 105 min)

1915 BUDDHA MOUNTAIN (2010, Li Yu, China, 105 min)

14 JUNE – 2 JULY (EXCLUDING TUES+WED) 1930 (+1430 SAT) IMAGINARY INVALID, @DEMOCRAZY THEATRE, 450B, 0863833155

19 JUNE – 31 JULY MARATHON FILM FESTIVAL

21-25 JUNE, 28 JUNE-2 JULY 1930 FALL  @CRESCENT MOON 350B 0819294246 0841742729

THE CHAIRS (2012, Adjjima Na Patalung, A++++++++++)

THE CHAIRS (2012, Adjjima Na Patalung, A++++++++++)

I can't say I understand this play, but it is extremely thought-provoking.

กราบตีนการแสดงของสุมณฑา สวนผลรัตน์ในเรื่องนี้ การแสดงของคุณจุ๋มในเรื่องนี้มันหนักมาก กล้ามเนื้อบนใบหน้าของเธอมันทำด้วยอะไร มันถึงได้ดูบิดเบี้ยวไปตามอารมณ์ได้ขนาดนั้น

OUR LAND (1976, S. Assanajinda + Saenyakorn, A+) vs. LADY'S CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (1955, Marc Allégret, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

OUR LAND (1976, S. Assanajinda + Saenyakorn, A+) vs. LADY'S CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (1955, Marc Allégret, A++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++)

เราชอบแผ่นดินของเรามากในระดับ A+ จ้ะ ขณะที่ดูก็รู้สึกแอบฮาอยู่เป็นระยะๆในความเป็นเมโลดราม่าของมัน ในแง่นึงเราชอบความเป็นขนบเมโลดรามาของมันเพราะมันเป็นสิ่งที่แทบไม่ค่อยพบเจอแล้วในหนังยุคนี้

แต่ในแง่นึงเราก็ไม่ได้ชอบหนังเรื่องนี้สุดๆในระดับ A+30 นะ เพราะเราชอบหนังประเภทที่ "นางเอกเงี่ยนอยากได้ผัวหล่อ" และจบลงด้วยการที่ "เธอทิ้งทุกอย่างในสังคมเพื่อไปเอากับผัวหล่ออย่างมีความสุข" อย่าง LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (1955, Marc Allégret, A+30) มากกว่า ฮ่าๆๆ คือตัวหนังแบบ "แผ่นดินของเรา" หรือเนื้อเรื่องแบบ "แผ่นดินของเรา" มันไม่ได้ผิดอะไรหรอกนะ แต่เราดู LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (1955) แล้วเรามีความสุขมากกว่าน่ะ สิ่งที่แตกต่างกันระหว่างหนังสองเรื่องนี้ก็คือความเงี่ยนทำให้นางเอกของ "แผ่นดินของเรา" โดน "ลงโทษ" แต่ความเงี่ยนทำให้นางเอกของ LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER "is handsomely rewarded" ในตอนจบ เราก็เลยยกให้ LADY CHATTERLEY'S LOVER (1955) เป็นหนึ่งในหนังที่ชอบที่สุดในปีนี้ และ Lady Chatterley ในหนังเรื่องนี้คือวีรสตรีในดวงใจเรา

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 59: HOUSEWIFE -- Oxia featuring Miss Kittin

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 59: HOUSEWIFE -- Oxia featuring Miss Kittin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8neZuTgpihI&feature=related

This song unintentionally reminds me of the film LIVING A BEAUTIFUL LIFE (2003, Corinna Schnitt).

A THOUSAND TIMES STRONGER (2010, Peter Schildt, Sweden, A+30)

A THOUSAND TIMES STRONGER (2010, Peter Schildt, Sweden, A+30)

I love some films very much because they unintentionally help me release something inside me. I feel as if there are some kinds of repressed feelings and emotions inside me, which can only be released when I see the right films.

I worship HIMIZU (2011, Sion Sono, A+30) and BLACK BREAD (2010, Agustí Villaronga, A+30) because of this. Watching these two films makes me feel as if I meet a stranger who understands me and my soul. Some repressed feelings inside me have been released by seeing these two films.

A THOUSAND TIMES STRONGER has roughly the same kind of effects on me, too. A few weeks before seeing this film, I talked with some old friends and am very glad to know that they share one same thing with me: they don't forget the abuses the teachers in our elementary school, secondary school, and high school did to us, though these things happened 20-30 years ago. The anger and the hatred the we have for some teachers are still there inside us.

A THOUSAND TIMES STRONGER unintentionally helps me release the anger and hatred that I have had for some teachers for the past 20-30 years. There are many other things that I like very much in this film, too, though I'm too lazy to write about them. Hahaha.

Favorite Thai Songs 20: NOT CHAI'S STYLE -- Yingyong Yodbuangarm

Favorite Thai Songs 20: NOT CHAI'S STYLE -- Yingyong Yodbuangarm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0TuCBYjuWU

Thanks to Filmsick for telling us about this.

Favorite Thai Songs 19: BORN FOR THIS -- Ple Irene

Favorite Thai Songs 19: BORN FOR THIS -- Ple Irene

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

Favorite Old Songs 134: BITTEN LIPS -- Band of Holy Joy

Favorite Old Songs 134: BITTEN LIPS -- Band of Holy Joy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flCzwTzXU9Y

Thanks to May Adadol for telling us about this song. The song is about Kay Kent (Marilyn Monroe impersonator)

http://www.findadeath.com/Deceased/k/Kaykent/kent.htm

Favorite Music Videos 43: CAFÉ PRAGUE -- Groovejuice

Favorite Music Videos 43: CAFÉ PRAGUE -- Groovejuice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq3zqIgHmfQ&feature=related

Is this music video made from found footage? I wonder from which movies the clips in this music video come.

Favorite Music Videos 42: EXCITABLE (1985) -- Amazulu

Favorite Music Videos 42: EXCITABLE (1985) -- Amazulu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL7ZlFrJbx4&feature=related

"NO RACK CAN TORTURE ME"

A poem by Emily Dickinson

NO rack can torture me,
My soul ’s at liberty.
Behind this mortal bone
There knits a bolder one
You cannot prick with saw,
Nor rend with scymitar.
Two bodies therefore be;
Bind one, and one will flee.
The eagle of his nest
No easier divest
And gain the sky,
Than mayest thou,
Except thyself may be
Thine enemy;
Captivity is consciousness,
So’s liberty.

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 58: WHO IS SARAH STERN (2008) -- Bruno Pronsato

Celine and Julie Go Dancing 58: WHO IS SARAH STERN (2008) -- Bruno Pronsato

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgYEiz-BMB0&feature=related

Favorite Old Songs 133: LIAR (1989) -- Akina Nakamori

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

COMBAT DE BOXE (1927, Charles Dekeukeleire, Belgium, A++++++++++)

COMBAT DE BOXE (1927, Charles Dekeukeleire, Belgium, A++++++++++)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6YYFuFQg0E

MY CINEMATIC DISCOVERIES IN 2011

I wrote about my cinematic discoveries in 2011 in PROJECTORHEAD online film magazine. You can read my writing in the link below:

http://www.projectorhead.in/six/discoveries.html

CALL (2011, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 22 min, no English subtitles, A++++++++++)

CALL (2011, Chonlasit Upanigkit, 22 min, no English subtitles, A++++++++++)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbgmV8Xb7i8

I like the slice-of-life quality of this film very much. This film doesn't try to teach us anything, but lets us observe small moments in the lives of two women. These moments may be redundant in other films, but I like this kind of moments very much.

We observe two women who are a little bit different from each other. One of them wakes up early, while the other wakes up late. One of them has some problems with her mother, while the other may miss her own mother who lives abroad.

I like the feelings and emotions of the characters in this film very much. It seems real for me, especially the scene in which a character quarrels with her own mother. I also like the ending scene very much, partly because it ends when I didn't expect (I expected something more important to happen before it ends), and partly because I can identify with the silent character in this scene. I have never sung karaoke before, so I can totally identify with the silent character who may be overwhelmed with some problems in her mind in the karaoke scene.

I also like the talking about phone applications in this film. This is real life, a kind of life I'd like to see more in films, just because I can identify with it, not because it contains some ultimate truths or enlightens us. Different films serve different purposes. CALL is made as a workshop for the actresses, but because it doesn't try too much to be a good film, some naturalness or some breeze of life can seep into the film, and makes the film very touching for me for its depiction of a simple life or a simple moment in life. Somehow I feel as if my simple life is affirmed after I watched CALL.

Three films of Barameerut Jantarasriwongs

Three films of Barameerut Jantarasriwongs

1.OAD (1998, Barameerut Jantarasriwongs, no English subtitles, 12 min, A+10)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhO40pA_etY                                                

2.WATER (2000, Barameerut Jantarasriwongs, no subtitles needed, 12 min, A+10)

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

3.THE WORLD IS NOT OURS (2003, Barameerut Jantarasriwongs, with English subtitles, 8 min, A+10)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6l9be1AGxt8

There are some Thai short films that I like very much in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, especially the films of Samart Imkham, Montree Saelo, and Barameerut Jantarasriwongs. I feel very sad that these great filmmakers haven't made new films lately, but I feel very glad to discover that three out of four short films of Barameerut are available on Youtube now, though BREATHE (1999, 30 min, A+30), which is my most favorite film of his, is not available on Youtube yet.

If I remember it correctly, I like BREATHE very much because it deals effectively with the hardship and the struggles of Thai people after the economic crisis in 1997. There are many Thai short films made in the late 1990s which deal with this topic, but I think BREATHE is one of the best. It is very easy for me to understand the pain of the characters in BREATHE, and that's why I like BREATHE the most among Barameerut's four films, because the other three films of his seem to have some philosophical aspects, which make the films a little bit more difficult for me to understand, but these philosophical aspects make the films interesting and thought-provoking.

Among these three films, I think THE WORLD IS NOT OURS is the most thought-provoking, while WATER is the easiest to understand. There are many questions left in my mind after I watch THE WORLD IS NOT OURS, for example:

1. The film is partly in black-and-white, and partly in color. Why?

2.The film is a little bit self-reflexive. It tells the story of a guy who tries to commit suicide, but a mysterious man tries to intervene, but ends up murdering the suicidal guy. The story is interrupted from time to time by some scenes which emphasize that what you see is a film or a staged scene. Why? Does it mean that some suicides or some murders in reality are "staged" or a show for the audience (general people)?

3.A few things in the film may or may not be symbols, such as the Harvard T-shirt, the Godfather poster, the zooming in on the letter UN in the word TUNER on the radio, the scene of some mechanical things near a bridge, etc.

4.The role of the woman in this film is really thought-provoking. Why does she cry? Why does she ignore the corpse? Does she symbolize general people who are obsessed with only their own problems?

OAD is also thought-provoking. If I understand it correctly, it tells the story of a blind man who pretends to keep on reading, telephoning, and working as a photographer. The message at the end of the film seems to indicate that the film is about how to experience things with your mind, instead of just with your eyes. But I don't think I understand this film completely.

WATER seems to explore some kinds of water in our lives, such as semen (which we were born from), drinking water, sweat, and urine. The film may also be about the various containers of water, such as bottles, plastic bags, water cooler tanks, and condoms. But I think the film may be more than that. I think the film may concern some philosophy about life, too.

Things I like very much in OAD include:

1.How the film tells something by the panning of the camera or by letting us observe the picture, instead of having the audience speak about it. The panning of the camera lets us see that the telephone may be connected to nothing. We can also notice that there is a camera on the desk of the blind man.

2.How OAD uses a clip from WINGS OF DESIRE (1987, Wim Wenders) in a meaningful way. The clip which is used in OAD is from a scene in which a little girl can see the angel who is invisible to the adults' eyes. This scene fits very well with OAD which may be about how to "see" things with our minds.

Things I like very much in WATER include:

1.Like in OAD, the panning of the camera in WATER lets us observe some important things by ourselves. In WATER, we can see that there are many plugs used in the same spot in a room, which may be the cause of the blackout.

2.How the film deals with the darkness. The film seems to find the right balance between what the character sees (which I guess is much darker than what the audience sees) and what the viewers should see. The scene cannot be realistically dark, because the viewers will see almost nothing in that case. I like it very much that we can still see the color of the urine in a water cooler tank in this supposedly dark scene.

3.The sound of the ticking clock. I like this kind of sound very much at night.

4.The use of static camera when we observe the character sleeping for several minutes

5.The use of the camera as the eyes of the characters for a few moments

6.The ending credits are a little bit funny. I think the director wants to use the whole song of YOU GOT IT, but the ending credits are too short, so he repeated the ending credits to fit the duration of the song.

Favorite Spanish Films

Favorite Spanish Films

This list is inspired by the Spanish Film Week in Bangkok in 2012.

(in alphabetical order)

1.AMANTES (1991, Vicente Aranda)

2.ANTÁRTIDA (1995, Manuel Huerga)

3.THE BABY'S ROOM (2006, Álex de la Iglesia)

4.EL BALANCÍN DE IVÁN (2002, Darío Stegmayer)

This short film may be more Argentine than Spanish, but it was shown in Bangkok as a representative of Spanish films in the EU Film Festival.

5.BEAR CUB (2004, Miguel Albaladejo)

6.BELLE EPOQUE (1992, Fernando Trueba)

7.BETA DOOR (2009, Chus Domínguez)

8.BIRDSONG (2008, Albert Serra)

9.BLACK BREAD (2010, Agustí Villaronga)

10.BLACKTHORN (2011, Mateo Gil)

11.CAMINO (2008, Javier Fesser)

12.CD (1997, Campanilla)

13.THE CITY AND THE OTHER (2010, Albert Merino)

14.THE COURT OF THE PHAROAH (1985, José Luis García Sánchez)

15.C REGENARACIONES (1999, Antoni Pinent)

16.DIVERTIMENTO (2000, José García Hernández)

17.DOORS CUT DOWN (2000, Antonio Hens)

18.ESTIVEN EN GALICIA (2006, DSK)

19.EVEN THE RAIN (2010, Icíar Bollaín)

20.EWAS (1985, Pedro Garhel)

21.HOMO BABY BOOM (2008, Anna Beluda, documentary)

22.IBERIA (2005, Carlos Saura)

23.INTACTO (2001, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo)

24.INTERVIEWING OBJECT # 2 (2008, Eulalia Valldosera)

25.INTENSITY (2011, Josep Bendicho)

26.IN THE CITY (1976-1977, Fina Miralles)

27.IN THE CITY (1976-1977, Juan Bulfill)

28.JAMÓN, JAMÓN (1992, Bigas Luna)

29.LAND WITHOUT BREAD (1933, Luis Buñuel)

30.LA MADRE MUERTA (1993, Juanma Bajo Ulloa)

31.MORIR (O NO) (2000, Ventura Pons)

32.NO REST FOR THE WICKED (2011, Enrique Urbizu)

33.THE NUN (2005, Luis de la Madrid)

34.OBABA (2005, Montxo Amendáriz)

35.PEPI, LUCI, BOM...(1980, Pedro Almodóvar)

36.THE PARABOLIC DISH (2007, Xavi Sala)

37.THE QUINCE TREE SUN (1991, Victor Erice, documentary)

38.THE SEA AND THE WEATHER (1989, Fernando Fernán Gómez)

39.SIESTA (1975, Navarro Baldeweg)

40.SPAIN LOVES YOU (1988, Isabel Herguera, animation)

41.SWEET (2011, Ivan Ruiz Flores)

42.THESIS (1995, Alejandro Amenábar)

43.13 ROSES (2007, Emilio Martínez Lázaro)

44.THIS HAPPENS A LOT (2000, Estibaliz Sabada)

45.TO LET (2006, Jaume Balagueró)

46.TORREMOLINOS 73 (2003, Pablo Berger)

47.TRAIN OF SHADOWS (1996, José Luis Guerin, documentary)

48.TWICE (2006, Joseba Fuentes)

49.VACAS (1992, Julio Medem)

50.VICENTA (2010, Samuel Orti Marti, animation)

51.WHO CAN KILL A CHILD? (1976, Narciso Ibáñez Serrador)

Favorite Hong Kong Films

Favorite Hong Kong Films

(in alphabetical orders)

1.ACCIDENT (2009, Soi Cheang)

2.AIR HOSTESS (1959, Yi Wen)

3.AUTUMN MOON (1992, Clara Law)

4.AN AUTUMN'S TALE (1987, Mabel Cheung)

5.BEGGAR (1971, Law Kar)

6.A BETTER TOMORROW III: LOVE AND DEATH IN SAIGON (1989, Tsui Hark)

7.BEYOND OUR KEN (2004, Pang Ho-Cheung)

8.BISHONEN (1999, Yonfan)

9.CROSS HARBOUR TUNNEL (1999, Lawrence Wong)

10.CRYING FREEMAN: DRAGON FROM RUSSIA (1990, Clarence Fok Yiu-leung)

11.DREAMTRIPS (1999, Kal Ng)

12.FALLEN ANGELS (1995, Wong Kar-Wai)

13.FULL MOON IN NEW YORK (1989, Stanley Kwan)

14.GLASS TEARS (2001, Lai Miu-suet)

15.GOLDEN SWALLOW (โอม สู้แล้วอย่าห้าม) (1988, O Sing-Pui)

16.THE GREATEST CIVIL WAR ON EARTH (1961, Wang Tian-lin)

17.THE HEROIC TRIO (1992, Johnnie To)

18.HOME WORK (1966, Ho Fan)

19.INFERNAL AFFAIRS (2002, Lau Wai-keung + Alan Mak)

20.INVISIBLE TARGET (2007, Benny Chan)

21.IP MAN 2 (2010, Wilson Yip)

22.KINGDOM AND THE BEAUTY (1962, Li Han Hsiang)

23.KOMA (2004, Law Chi-leung)

24.KUNG FU HUSTLE (2004, Stephen Chow)

25.LEAVING IN SORROW (2001, Vincent Chui)

26.LIFE WITHOUT PRINCIPLE (2011, Johnnie To)

27.THE LONGEST NITE (1998, Yau Tat-Chi)

28.LOST IN TIME (2003, Yee Tung-Shing)

29.LOVE WILL TEAR US APART (1999, Yu Lik-wai)

30.MIDNIGHT FLY (2001, Jacob Cheung)

31.A MOTH AND A BUTTERFLY (2003, Gilbert Kwong)

32.MUM IS BORN (2006, John Chan, animation)

33.MURDERER (2009, Chow Hin Yeung Roy)

34.MY LEFT EYE SEES GHOSTS (2002, Johnnie To + Wai Ka-Fai)

35.NAKED WEAPON (2002, Ching Siu-Tung)

36.NIGHT AND FOG (2010, Ann Hui)

37.ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA III (1993, Tsui Hark)

38.PEKING OPERA BLUES (เผ็ดสวยดุ ณ เปไก๋) (1986, Tsui Hark)

39.PERMANENT RESIDENCE (2009, Scud)

40.PUBLIC TOILET (2002, Fruit Chan)

41.QUEEN'S ENCOUNTER (2011, Enoch Cheng)

42.SAVIOUR OF THE SOUL (ตายกี่ชาติก็ขาดเธอไม่ได้) (1991, David Lai + Corey Yuen)

43.SEALED WITH A KISS (1999, Chiu Sung Kee)

44.THE STOOL PIGEON (2010, Dante Lam)

45.SO CLOSE (2002, Corey Yuen)

46.SOMETHING ABOUT FIVE PEOPLE (1973, Lau Fung Kut)

47.SOUNDLESS WIND CHIME (2009, Kit Hung)

48.STAR (ALTERNATIVE VERSION) (2011, Choi Sai Ho)

49.SWORDSMAN (1990, King Hu + Tsui Hark)

50.SWORDSMAN II (1991, Ching Siu-Tung)

51.SWORDSMAN III: THE EAST IS RED (1993, Ching Siu-Tung + Raymond Lee)

52.TEMPTING HEART (1999, Sylvia Chang)

53.TOO MANY WAYS TO BE NO.1 (1997, Wai Ka-Fai)

54.WEB OF DECEPTION (ผู้หญิงแย่งสับ) (1989, David Chung)

55.WOMEN PRISON (1988, David Lam)