• News & article

  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.

• News & article

  Cinema Politico

  Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 14/12/2018

  » The premiere of the social-commentary film Ten Years Thailand on Tuesday night saw a number of political celebrities in the vaulted foyer of the Scala, brushing elbows with journalists, film professionals and gawking onlookers. Sulak Sivaraksa was there, as well as historian Charnvit Kasetsiri, Thongthong Chandrangsu and several political-science scholars. Big names from political parties showed up: Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit from Future Forward, Parit Ratanakulserirengrit from the Democrats, Chatchat Sitthiphun and Wattana Muangsuk from Pheu Thai, Sombat Boon-ngamanong from Krian Party. Invitations had been sent out to all parties, according to the film producers, but no one from Palang Pracharat and Bhumjaithai attended the screening.

• News & article

  Sucking the wind out of the elections

  News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 05/05/2018

  » The verb of the week is "to dood".

• News & article

  Regime trawl for small fry no joke at all

  News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 20/01/2018

  » The big fish hardly ever gets caught, not here. Only the small, the trivial, the nonsensical fish, the clownfish especially. As in school, or in prison, the bullies never bully the big kid. They only confirm their sense of power when they go after the small guys, the nerds, even the girls.

• News & article

  PM trumped by president's sales pitch

  News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 07/10/2017

  » A match made in heaven, or in Purgatory, or at least in the White House. Two men known for belligerent rhetoric and rambling speech sat side by side, one elected, one a pretender, both famous for throwing tantrums, their respective wives kept out of the frame (of course). It was a press conference at the White House between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on the occasion of the latter's trip of a lifetime.

• News & article

  That precious gold statuette

  Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 24/02/2017

  » The Oscars takes place Monday morning Thailand time. We pontificate and prognosticate the results

• News & article

  Going S44 cold turkey is going to hurt

  News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 27/08/2016

  » There's a Thai phrase, fon lai chang, the rain that chases out the elephant. But the heavy rain on Wednesday night managed to chase out something bigger than an elephant: the Bangkok governor. I hear people popping champagne corks.

• News & article

  Regional favourites, new and old

  Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 15/04/2016

  » The 2nd Bangkok Asean Film Festival begins on Thursday at SF World Cinema, and will travel to Khon Kaen, Surat Thani and Chiang Mai later.

• News & article

  A lesson from Oscars democracy

  News, Kong Rithdee, Published on 04/01/2015

  » The United States is a model of modern democracy. Just look at the Oscars. After the tearful speeches and crumpled handkerchiefs, the pizzas, the history-making selfie, the crisp tuxes and plunging necklines, the self-congratulatory parties, the Slave who defies gravity, the umpteenth heartbreak of Leonardo DiCaprio and the star-making moment of Lupita Nyong’o — after the drum roll, it’s worth looking back to see how the model of modern democracy decides its "best" movies. Of course, by voting.

• News & article

  Diamond is the future

  Life, Kong Rithdee, Published on 04/01/2015

  » The closest thing to Thailand in Cannes this year is, once again, Cambodia. Last year, Rithy Panh arrived at the festival with moving Khmer Rouge documentary The Missing Picture, which went on to win the Un Certain Regard prize and be nominated for an Oscar. This year, at the sidebar Directors’ Fortnight section, Paris-based Davy Chou presents his 21-minute film Cambodia 2099, a rapt, fluid record of the dreams-in-construction that is present-day Phnom Penh.

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