Pen-ek overcomes the paradox

Pen-ek Ratanaruang has finally secured a release for the much-anticipated “Paradoxocracy” (“prachathipatai”), his documentary on Thailand’s modern political history.

According to an announcement on the “Paradoxocracy the Movie” Facebook page, it’ll get a limited run at Bangkok’s Paragon Cineplex and Esplanade Cineplex Ratchada from June 24 to July 3.

A pet project of Pen-ek’s, “Paradoxocracy” was cleared by censors early in the year and was set for release in February. However, it ended up being delayed, with the blame at first attributed to “technical problems”. Pen-ek later admitted he’d encountered difficulties in finding a venue to screen it.

Featuring a mix of archival footage and talking-head interviews, “Paradoxocracy” covers such topics as the transition from absolute monarchy to constitutional monarchy in the 1930s, the pro-democracy demonstrations and violent crackdowns of the 1970s and “Black May” in 1992 to the rise of the “ice cream man”, Thaksin Shinawatra.

Interviewees include historian and 1970s student leader Thongchai Wanichakul and historian and former Thammasat University rector Charnvit Kasetsiri. There’s also chulalongkorn University academic Chaiyan Chaiyaporn, who was arrested after ripping up his ballot in the 2006 election, red-shirt activist Sombat Boon-ngam-anong and former student activist and SEA Write Award-winner Jiranan Pitpreecha, who fled to the jungle in the ’70s. And Thammasat Unversity academic Worajet Pakeerat of the Nitirat Group appears. He’s the guy who was physically assaulted for his group’s opposing views of Article 112, the royal-insult law.

They all warm up to easygoing Pen-ek and speak frankly, especially social critic Sulak Sivaraksa who sums up, “It’s okay. The commies were [jerks], the elites were also [jerks]. They’re all [jerks].” However, as you might surmise, Sulak uses stronger words that can’t be repeated here. 

 

 

‘Long Weekend’ in Cannes

 

While no actual Thai films are featured in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, the industry is still represented at the Cannes Film Market.

Among the titles attracting buyers was the horror flick “Thongsuk 13”, aka “Long Weekend”. It was picked up by Eurofilms Perú for distribution in Peru, Ecuador and Bolivia, according to the Film Business Asia website.

The first release from a new production shingle, Wave Pictures, international sales for “Thongsuk 13” are being handled by Five Star Production, which also found buyers in Asian territories for its own “3am: The Second Night”, yet another entry in venerable studio’s new exploration into the realm of 3D horror.

Directed by veteran “trashmeister” Taweewat Wantha, “Thongsuk” made waves at last month’s Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy. Film Biz Asia’s critic Derek Elley saw it and said it’s “a cut above the average teen slasher, thanks to good production values and a story that at least keeps twisting and turning”.