Sight, sound and screen

Ballet and film take centre stage in Chiang Mai in November to mark two important golden jubilees – 50 years of diplomatic relations between Peru and Thailand and the 50th anniversary of Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Humanities

Chiang Mai Ballet is staging “The Nutcracker” with two Peruvian principal dancers as part of Chiang Mai’s first International Dance Festival at Kad Theatre while the faculty’s auditorium is playing host to the Week of Peruvian Films, featuring award-winning and crowd-pleasing movies.

“The programme will start with ‘The Four Beautiful Regions of Siam’ dance, with multimedia featuring video images on a large screen,” says ML Preeyapun Sridhavat, Chiang Mai Ballet’s artistic director, former senator and honorary consul of Peru.

“As usual, we have made adaptations to the main programme,” she continues. “In the original version of ‘The Nutcracker’, there are divertissements from Spain, Arab, China and Russia. For ‘The Nutcracker 2014’, we’re adding African dance, and with the help from [Peruvian ambassador to Thailand] Felix Denegri, we’re including Peruvian dance in the scene where Clara and Prince Nutcracker head off on dream journey.”

Apart from Mahasarakam University’s dance professor Peera Phanlukthao, who thrilled the audience with his title role in Chiang Mai Ballet’s “Prince of the Golden Conch Shell” this March, Peruvian dancers Miguel Zambrano and Giuliana Garay will join the cast.

Many of the dancers, such as Cathrin Ballmer, Sirada Limjeerajarat, Khemruthai Chaiwipassatorn, Chatnapha Kittirattanapaiboon, Piyawat Muninthorn and Pavinee Suemanotham have won awards from overseas dance competitions, ML Preeyapun says. And as usual, a few hundred dance students of various ages will also perform, she adds.

The Week of Peruvian Films opens with “Chicama”, a heart-warming drama from 2012 about a young teacher who works in the rural area and falls in love with his students and colleague. It was named Film of the Year by the Peruvian Motion Picture Press Association.

Also in the cine Peruano programme is “Asu Mare”, an autobiographical comedy that broke box-office records in 2013. Written by and starring Carlos Alcantara, it’s based on his stand-up comedy show. “Tinta Roja” (2000) is a crime drama that criticises tabloid journalism and won its lead actor the top prize at film fests in Havana and San Sebastian.

“Pantaleon y las Visitadoras” (2000) is a comedy-drama in which an army captain if ordered to set up a brothel to entertain the soldiers along the remote Amazon borders. It picked up several awards at the Gramado Film Festival and was also nominated for Spain’s Goya award. 

“We would love to make these two new special events into a regular showcase but that depends on the audience’s response as well as support from foreign institutions,” ML Preeyapun says.

 

DANCE AND A MOVIE

“The Nutcracker”, part of the International Dance Festival in Chiang Mai, is at noon and 3.30pm on November 2 at Kad Theatre. Tickets cost Bt300 to Bt1,000. Call (053) 260 373. Proceeds willgo to the New Life Foundation under the patronage of the Queen Mother. Find out more at (081) 881 1114.

“The Week of Peruvian Films” has screenings on October 31 at 6.30pm in Room 5100, and November 3, 5 and 7 at 1.30pm in Room 7 of Chiang Mai University’s Humanities Building. All films are in Spanish with English subtitles. Free admission.