Showing 1 - 10 of 11
A long crusade against healthcare woes
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 16/04/2021
» Colectiv, a Romanian documentary film nominated for two Oscars, watches in terror as the Romanian healthcare system practically collapses before the camera. The film elicits a series of gasps, as one shocking revelation leads to another, and another: procurement frauds, bureaucratic incompetence, corruption, nepotism, murder, mass bribery, healthcare mafia, maggots crawling on the head of a patient -- a living patient -- and finally, an election whose preposterous results ring too many familiar bells.
A new way forward
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 01/04/2020
» Many Thai filmmakers would agree that our movie industry is in the rough. Several obstacles are preventing it from flourishing. A group of film professionals recently gathered for a plenary discussion held at Unesco Bangkok to address the challenges of, and the changes they want to see in, the Thai film sector.
A new vision on Siam's enduring symbol
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 26/04/2017
» The elephant and the man, walking down the road to redemption and encountering the wounded and the marginalised, the madmen and the prostitutes. In the film Pop Aye, which will kick off Bangkok Asean Film Festival 2017 this evening (see sidebar), the fine-tusked beast accompanies the lost soul as the duo find their way home from Bangkok to the Northeast.
Stone on Snowden
Life, Kanin Srimaneekulroj, Published on 07/10/2016
» Director Oliver Stone likes to tell stories of larger-than-life characters. Or not just characters, but real people caught up in the swirl of American history, which is sometimes to say world history: John F. Kennedy in JFK (1991); Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991); Richard Nixon in Nixon (1995); Fidel Castro in Commandante (2003); Alexander the Great in Alexander (2005); and George W Bush in W (2008). The fuzzy line between glory and shame of American policy is also his favourite subject, such as in the Vietnam War-set Platoon (1986), Wall Street (1987), Born On The Fourth Of July (1989) and World Trade Center (2006).
Interpreting the Oct 6 atrocity
Life, Amitha Amranand, Published on 22/09/2016
» Theatre artists continue their commemorations of the upcoming 40th anniversary of the Oct 6, 1976, Thammasat University massacre. Last week, B-Floor Theatre director Teerawat Mulvilai rolled out Fundamental, another powerful dance theatre production that brings the shocking images captured by Neal Ulevich to life and into the present.
For horse lovers
Life, Bernard Trink, Published on 16/03/2015
» Do you believe in coincidence? I do, because it has happened to me on occasion and there's no other likely explanation. Yet there are those who don't, and statistics have been made to show that there's a mathematical probability of such events occurring. But can't statistics prove just about anything?
Sin and the art of redemptive violence
Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 04/01/2015
» Sitting in the courtyard of the Carlton Hotel in Cannes, Chinese filmmaker Jia Zhangke talks about violence _ the violence in his new movie that is riding a wave of critical favour at the world's biggest film festival, and the real violence back in his home country where the unstoppable motor of progress has brought on many changes, good and otherwise.
The Karnatik Story should be heard by all
Life, John Clewley, Published on 23/09/2014
» I was recently in Bangalore in Southern India on a business trip. It was my first visit and I thoroughly enjoyed the city. It was, first of all, delightful to be in a big city which has lots of tree-lined boulevards and roads, although like Bangkok they always seem to be bumper to bumper with all kinds of vehicles. The food was terrific, the tea delicious and people everywhere were very friendly.
Get Carter
Life, Ung-Aang Talay, Published on 03/09/2013
» Maybe it was Elliott Carter's passing last year just short of his 104th birthday that spurred the re-release of these recordings, much longed-for by admirers of Carter's music and unobtainable for many decades. Carter belongs on any shortlist of important modern composers, but the best recordings of his work have a tendency to descend into deletion limbo and stay there. These are times when even a new Mahler recording has little chance of making money for its publishers unless President Barack Obama or Justin Bieber happens to mention that he's been listening to it, so once again we must be grateful to ArchivMusic for restoring these very special performances to the catalogue.
Military manoeuvres, Animal house, A case of nature over knife
News, Mae Moo, Published on 22/07/2012
» Comedian Thongthong Mokjok says he has become close to a soldier with a bright career ahead of him, but hesitates to call him his ''boyfriend'' in case it hurts his chances.