Re: "Court cites national security to extend 'Shakespeare' ban," (BP, Aug 12). As makers of the films in question, we're writing to thank you for printing the news of our struggle for cinematic freedom. However, there is a small error of fact regarding the documentary we made while fighting the censors to rescind the ban on our Macbeth movie Shakespeare Must Die. Censor Must Die (sic, not 'Censors Must Die') was indeed submitted to the Board of Film Censors, which made the historic ruling citing Article 27(1) of the Royal Edict on Film & Video 2008 that "films made from events that actually happened" do not need to go through the censorship process. Significantly, this set a legal precedent which means that purist documentaries are now exempt from censorship. While we will indeed test this ruling soon with our next documentary film, we have not yet done so.
At the core of our Administrative Court case is not the fact that a scene was inspired by the Oct 6 massacre of 1976, but by the fact that our film met with discrimination. Many other Thai films have been inspired by or actually feature the events of Oct 14, 1973 and Oct 6, 1976, including this year's Best Picture at the Thai Supannahongse awards; and one year after Shakespeare Must Die was banned, in 2013 another film was banned for national security reasons. However, the ban was overturned within 48 hours without the producer having to submit an appeal, a legal impossibility. However, the court has seen fit to focus on our so-called "Oct 6 scene", which was actually inspired by a Pulitzer-winning news photo by Neal Ulevich of The Associated Press; the film itself has nothing to do with Oct 6 and we have never "insisted that we are presenting the truth of the events of Oct 6 so refused to cut the scene", as the censors have slanderously claimed and continue to claim. Thank you for kindly allowing us to have our say.
Manit Sriwanichpoom, producer, and Ing Kanjanavanit, director of 'Shakespeare Must Die' and 'Censor Must Die'
It gives you wings
Re: "No end of surprises in Red Bull case", (BP, Aug 14).
If the authorities, for whatever reason, are really unable to pinpoint the location of Vorayuth "Boss" Yoovidhya, wanted in connection with allegedly killing a Thai policeman, may I suggest checking the Formula 1 racing calendar, then checking to see which of the host countries have an extradition treaty with Thailand. It seems "the Boss" likes to turn up in his private jet at those events , so he is quite conspicuous.
Just trying to help!
Martin R
Hate will never win
This past weekend has been a sad couple of days for all of us in Charlottesville who believe in the beautiful diversity of this town, the University of Virginia, and the Commonwealth of Virginia. These acts of hate, intimidation, and violence are not representative of who we are as a community. The ignorant hatred and violence runs contrary to everything that UVA students, faculty, staff, and the people of Charlottesville stand for.
In addition to the tragic violence on Saturday in downtown Charlottesville, the night before, the same group of white supremacists and neo-Nazis marched on the grounds of the University of Virginia, while yelling hate speech intended to create fear among religious, cultural, and racial minorities. A group of UVA students, vastly outnumbered by the neo-Nazis, arrived to peacefully counter-protest. The students should be commended for their bravery in standing up against hate and bigotry.
Charlottesville showed the world that hate did not and will never win. This community will emerge stronger. We will defeat hate by spreading love and our values of openness, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity will prevail.
Pasuth Thothaveesansuk
University of Virginia College of Arts & Sciences, Charlottesville VA
Chicken-head logic
There is a game called "chicken". Two people in cars drive at top speed towards one another and whichever driver pulls away at the last second to avoid a crash is the chicken.
When America and North Korea are both lead by sociopaths it is horrifying to think that the lives of millions of people are dependent upon the hope that one of those two men is the chicken. And if neither of them is the chicken? Then God help us!
Eric Bahrt
