Showing 1 - 10 of 11
Thai film editor joins Oscars academy
Kong Rithdee, Published on 02/07/2019
» Thai film editor Lee Chatametikool has been made a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science, meaning he will be eligible to vote for the Oscars.
Mementos of the meltdown
Life, Arusa Pisuthipan, Published on 03/07/2017
» This month marks the 20th anniversary of the 1997 'Tom Yum Kung Crisis', the landmark financial crash that left investors in shock, employees in tears and the economy in tatters. As hard lessons are still being learned, Life looks back at colourful memories from one of the seismic events that has helped define modern Thailand.
In search of 'Thainess'
Life, Published on 09/12/2015
» It has been a productive year for Thai art in the UK. Last week, "Thailand Eye", a survey exhibition of Thai contemporary art opened at the Saatchi Gallery in Central London (see main story). Showcasing almost 60 artworks from Thailand, from paintings, sculptures and photography to moving images, the exhibition is being promoted as the final component of "Totally Thai", a trilogy that aims to promote Thai culture and tourism, as well as celebrate the 160th anniversary of the Bowring Treaty between the UK and Thailand.
The flamboyant Yonfan
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 05/05/2015
» Yonfan giggles and chirps as he remembers his first encounter with Thai cinema.
The big picture: prizes vs popularity
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 06/03/2015
» When Birdman won Best Picture at the Academy Awards last week, a New York Times headline read: "Oscars show growing gap between moviegoers and Academy", referring to the fact that a small, semi-art-house film that wasn't seen by many people received the industry's highest honour. The article goes on to quote film historian Philip Hallman, who says "most people have to finally accept that the Oscars have become elitist and not in step with anything that is actually popular".
Indie flick stands tall at Subannahongsa Awards
Life, Published on 03/03/2015
» For the second year in a row, an independent movie took home the top prize at Thailand's Subannahongsa Awards, the Thai film industry's most prestigious, in a ceremony at Thailand Cultural Centre, on Sunday.
Absoluttruth at its heart
Life, Onsiri Pravattiyagul, Published on 25/09/2014
» The Absolut Artelier project in Thailand came to a close last week with Shy Limanon as its last art ambassador.
Romance among the ruins
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 19/09/2014
» Love is a crumbling currency in the wistful, strangely affecting Pavang Rak (Concrete Clouds). Set in 1997, during the economic meltdown that burst our bubble and left urban carcases of unfinished skyscrapers, the film remembers the emotional inertia of that year and watches its characters drift like ghosts as they realise that even love — of all the catastrophes — can't give them salvation. There's voluptuous despair. There's a full cabinet of 1990s pop-cultural reminiscence, and there's the filmmaker's awkward strive to reconcile the narrative flow with his experimental impulses — and yet here's a Thai film that's as tender as it is bold. It's also a film about the mood (and not necessarily the actualities) of that fateful, uneasy moment of 17 years ago when the market crashed and our sense of the future dashed.
Teardrops and drama
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 12/09/2014
» Fans of Thai cinema may best remember Apinya "Saiparn" Sakuljaroensuk from the iconic afro hairdo she had in her breakthrough performance in 2007 film Ploy. Seven years later, the afro has been replaced with pigtails and she is now more than ready to stake her claim as one of the most talented and diverse young Thai actresses in the industry today.
Rotterdam embraces Thai films
Life, Published on 05/02/2014
» Thailand had something to cheer about at the 43rd International Film Festival Rotterdam, Europe's first high-profile cinefest. The 10-day festival ended on Sunday, with seven Thai titles screened the highest number in years and one winning a prize.