Thai editorial: Our cinematic talent needs more support

[webfact]

EDITORIAL
Our cinematic talent needs more support
The Nation

Showered with awards on the global stage, Thai filmmakers are being shunned by authorities at home

BANGKOK: -- A Thai director has once again scooped the top award at an international film festival, reminding us of the abundance of talent our movie industry has to offer. Jakrawaal Nithihamrong's "Vanishing Point" wowed judges at the movie festival in Rotterdam, becoming the fourth Thai indie production to win silverware at the Dutch showcase.

The win bolstered Thailand's reputation around the globe as a hotbed of cinematic gifts, highlighted by Apichatpong Weerasethakul's triumph at Cannes four years ago. But that status doesn't seem to hold back home. While our independent filmmakers fly the Thai flag at festivals overseas, they go virtually unnoticed in their homeland, which is failing to capitalise on this deep pool of talent.

Jakrawaal, Apichatpong and their independent peers all rely on funding from overseas to make their movies. A slew of other, less-known Thai filmmakers are also out there somewhere, pitching ideas to potential financiers in a bid to get their visions onscreen. Unfortunately, Thai taxpayers' money plays little role in nurturing these local talents.

Matters aren't much better in Thai mainstream cinema, despite the fact that the number of studios has grown thanks to commercial success. Like other art forms, cinema is not deemed worthy of serious support or assistance. Thai films have received no privileges at home and must compete head-to-head with Hollywood blockbusters with far higher production budgets.

Meanwhile regional neighbours like China and South Korea, realising their home-grown films are not on an equal footing with their Hollywood counterparts, have begun supporting their filmmakers. China uses a quota to limit the number of foreign films shown to a few dozen per year, while South Korea reserves most of its theatres for screening local films. These measures have ignited controversy abroad, but they reflect the political determination of the local powers-that-be to help home-grown talent.

Visoot Poolvoraluk, president of the National Federation of Thai Film Associations, has raised concerns that Thai movies will this year face fierce competition from big-budget Hollywood blockbusters. Last year Thai films earned around Bt1 billion in total at the box office, a modest return from the 70 films screened. Some producers, like the major studios Sahamongkol and GTH, boost their earnings by selling their pictures abroad, which helps pay for their big-budget titles.

There have been attempts to support local independent talents but so far the measures implemented have lacked strategy and focus. This reflects a decade of confusion among the authorities over whether to promote Thai films as culture, as industry, or both.

To end the confusion, the Culture Ministry and Tourism Authority must come up with a clear and sustainable strategy to support Thai movies. Wasting money on individual eye-catching projects will not nurture talent in the long term. The lack of such a strategy stems from a lack of political will. Talented Thai filmmakers have once again proved that they deserve attention and support. The ball is now back in the authorities' court.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Our-cinematic-talent-needs-more-support-30253335.html


-- The Nation 2015-02-04

[Bluespunk]

"China uses a quota to limit the number of foreign films shown to a few dozen per year, while South Korea reserves most of its theatres for screening local films. These measures have ignited controversy abroad, but they reflect the political determination of the local powers-that-be to help home-grown talent".

Ah, so your solution is discrimination and a lack of choice.

Nice.

Edited February 3, 2015 by Bluespunk

[Jay Sata]

Thai movies?

Talent pool?

All I see are the very badly acted juvenile soaps on tv.

[yellowboat]

Road past a film studio in Bangkok. Noticed there were NO tours and access for visitors.

Perhaps Thailand should at least look at what Hong Kong film industry does to compete.

[NongKhaiKid]

On seeing the headline ' more support ' I had the initial horror of more, and louder, drum rolls, cymbals, whistles and bangs etc to emphasize when someone has said or done something supposedly funny.

[samsensam]

'abundance of talent', 'deep pool of talent' yea, right.

[ratcatcher]

Does anyone know if the Thai quality movies have been competently subtitled into other languages, particularly English?

[robblok]

Does anyone know if the Thai quality movies have been competently subtitled into other languages, particularly English?

I have seen a few of those and they are a learning experience for me. Thai soap opera's are easier to understand.

[ratcatcher]

Does anyone know if the Thai quality movies have been competently subtitled into other languages, particularly English?

I have seen a few of those and they are a learning experience for me. Thai soap opera's are easier to understand.

I think my dog understands Thai soap dramas, fortunately for me though, he is still as intelligent as ever.

[robblok]

Does anyone know if the Thai quality movies have been competently subtitled into other languages, particularly English?

I have seen a few of those and they are a learning experience for me. Thai soap opera's are easier to understand.

I think my dog understands Thai soap dramas, fortunately for me though, he is still as intelligent as ever.

For me its just easier to understand those conversations as its normal speaking language. Yesterday I was watching part of an action movie the soldier of Ayuttaya (something like that) and when they were talking about how good it was to sacrifice yourself for your country and how great an honor that was it was impossible for me to follow.

Movies in general have more substance and plot and the language is far more difficult as the conversations held in soap opera's

[yellowboat]

Not sure if the Thai film industry embraces tthe outside wor.d This is a very popular website, and many people fail to promote themselves properly, and not just Thais An example : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2925876/

[wolfmanjack]

The tony jaa movies were okay and were fairly well known around the world.

They just need to concentrate on action films where the dialog isn't as important.

Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan did it from Hong Kong so these "talented" directors should be able to make international quality movies that will bring in more $$$ and bo worth seeing.

And yes hiring bilingual people to do the subtitles would help a lot.

[ratcatcher]

The tony jaa movies were okay and were fairly well known around the world.

They just need to concentrate on action films where the dialog isn't as important.

Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan did it from Hong Kong so these "talented" directors should be able to make international quality movies that will bring in more $$$ and bo worth seeing.

And yes hiring bilingual people to do the subtitles would help a lot.

Anybody interested in Kublai Khan might find this movie interesting.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2189461/

Thailand, with some outside assistance (always a tricky business) might be able to make something similar about its history of overcoming invading armies and showing Thai culture as it was in the past.

[jaywalker]

Thai movies?

Talent pool?

All I see are the very badly acted juvenile soaps on tv.

Soaps are soaps the world over it seems - all crap.

If given the choice of watching soap operas or hot needles under my fingernails I'd go for the needles.

What gets me about Thai movies is when they have an English movie & the Thai guy talks over it (is that called dubbing? I dunno).

It always sounds like the same guy that does them all & his <deleted> must be hanging like a buffalo stud the way he does such a fake, deep voice.

[Don Aleman]

I will believe thereis Thai " cinema talent" when they stop firing six shooters 9 TIMES !

[NCC1701A]

sort of hard to make money with films when you are the hub of counterfeit DVDs.

you can't have it both ways.

i have forty years experience in the film industry. too bad i am not allowed to teach, even for free, without jeopardizing my visa.

i could take a whole class of Thai kids (those that speak English ) through the entire film making process tomorrow if i was allowed to do it.

i worked with many directors in Hollywood from China and from everywhere in the world. Only met one Thai in the film industry in Hollywood and she was quite good at her job. Having made it to the USA, she would have nothing to do with the Thai film industry.

you need permission from the communists in China to make your film. your script must be approved and there are people assigned to your set to make sure you don't make changes.

you do not need government approval of your script in the USA to make your film. you are free to just do it.

[zydeco]

In one respect the article is correct. There is some very good young talent in Thailand. But it's not the government's fault that they cannot find distribution for their product. The fact is that the current broadcasting and exhibition models in Thailand work--they make a profit, which, of course, is the bottom line. Thai people are happy with their soaps and, to a lesser extent, Thai cinema. Until they get bored and migrate to someone willing to offer an alternative on, say, one or two of the digital HD channels, nothing will change. Why should it? Why go through the expense of changing things when you're already profitable.

The other idea mentioned by the article would be a catastrophe. Limiting exhibition or broadcast of foreign (they mean American, mainly) productions would put Thailand in the crosshairs. Foreign production would pull out of Thailand--it's connected. And if foreign production goes, there goes a lot of work for prestige production companies like Living Films and less prestigious but even more work heavy companies like Grand Elephant. Not to mention the scores of mainly foreign owned or backed production service companies operating in Thailand. Take those companies out and you kill the industry in this country.

[WitawatWatawit]

A former neighbour, a professional video editor, once told me there were only half a dozen or so people who do voiceovers - they are given a script in Thai and about an hour to rehearse, and that's it. Each person covers several different characters.

[KhnomKhnom]

I taught about 150 film/tv/animation students in the Mahidol B.A. program. All Thai, about two thirds of them made their short senior project films which were imaginative, technically excellent, and very memorable in story. Few were about chases or shooting and most had a very humane undercurrent of caring about people even when they are troubled.

I concluded there is no absence of talent in Thailand. But, like every other nation, the entertainment industry is driven by the lowest common domination chasing a small number of outlets. Now YouTube allows everyone to distribute his film, and I recommend people go there for all qualities of entertainment and artistry.

It is quite sad that the Cannes Festival winner, 100% Thai, and his winning film is censored by the Thai authorities, cut so badly that the maker will not agree to show a ruined work here. I saw True satellite showing of CASABLANCA and even that classic treasure was censored in parts. On the other hand, Thai I question, feel that most TV seen in Thailand is so inconsequential and silly, like continuous cartoons so just maybe they are not so easily influenced by "bad" scenes.

[DaveE13]

Never been a fan of Dubbing.

Im a big fan of a lot of the Korean Films.

Edited February 4, 2015 by DaveE13

[mitsubishi]

sort of hard to make money with films when you are the hub of counterfeit DVDs.

you can't have it both ways.

i have forty years experience in the film industry. too bad i am not allowed to teach, even for free, without jeopardizing my visa.

i could take a whole class of Thai kids (those that speak English ) through the entire film making process tomorrow if i was allowed to do it.

i worked with many directors in Hollywood from China and from everywhere in the world. Only met one Thai in the film industry in Hollywood and she was quite good at her job. Having made it to the USA, she would have nothing to do with the Thai film industry.

you need permission from the communists in China to make your film. your script must be approved and there are people assigned to your set to make sure you don't make changes.

you do not need government approval of your script in the USA to make your film. you are free to just do it.

That's a double-edged sword though sometimes you need checks and balances to prevent the filth and subversion creeping in from you-know-who.

Thailand needs to work at raising its game though. It needs to greatly reduce the hybrid action/comedy, romantic/comedy etc and fix the genres. Apart from Jan Dara and the odd historical epic I see very few films for adult audiences.

Yes the bangs and whistles are OTT, maybe that is telling us something about the Thai psyche?!

[bangon04]

It is true. As part of their Thai Happiness, all Thais should be obliged as their patriotic duty to pay to sit through all 73 sequels of King Naresuan in special cinema sittings, until they fully understand Thai history and appreciate the real skill of the Thai moviemakers.

The lesser cinema dramas should not be ignored either:

http://notthenation.com/2010/12/prachatai-film-reviewer-arrested-for-giving-my-best-bodyguard-2-stars/