To help mark International Women's Day on Friday, "Wonder Women: When Women Make Movies" is a month-long programme of female-directed movie screenings, showing 13 Thai films from the 1960s to the present, plus a free screening of Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman (2017) at Sri Salaya Theatre, Thai Film Archive, Buddha Monthon Sai 5 Road.
Cinema is an industry run mostly by men. Throughout the history of filmmaking, the director is automatically linked to an image of a man seated in the director's chair, running the creative engine of a movie. But in fact women have long been involved in the key film-set position.
In Thailand, Pratuang Srisuphan is believed to have been the first female cinematographer and director, whose name appeared in several post-World War II movies (Tat Rak, 1953; Sood Teerak, 1955). Theatre director Ladda Sarntayon, who was active during the war years, later directed a film called Fai Cheewit in 1956 and Kabuankarn Seree Cheen in 1958. Well-known actress Suphan Buranapim directed Cha-am Amprang in 1955. Most prominently, Mom Ubol Yukol Na Ayutthaya, wife of Prince Anusornmongkolkarn, was credited as the director of several classic titles such as Pak Thong Chai (1957) and Chaloeisak (1958).
In short, women have long been a creative force in Thai cinema. And yet their presence has been limited, especially in the 16mm era in the 1960s and early 1970s. When the Thai film industry entered the 35mm era in the mid-1970s, a number of female directors came forward: Poranee Suwannatat, Amporn Prateepsane (who was a former action star), Suangsuda Chollampee, Nantana Weerachon and Oranuch Ladpanna (specialised in action flicks), as well as stars who turned to directing such as Choosri Meesommon and Patravadi Meechudhon, the doyenne of Thai acting.
It was in the late 1990s and 2000s that a generation of non-male filmmakers -- spurred by technology, the renaissance of the industry that engendered new opportunities -- made their presence felt both in the mainstream and independent scenes: Samarnrat "Ing K" Karnjanavanich (Shakespeare Must Die), Pimpaka Towira (The Island Funeral), Paoon Chantasiri (The Letter), Sukanya Wongsatapat (Akha Pu Narak), Areeya Sirisopa (Dek Toh) and Anocha Suwichakornpong (By The Time It Gets Dark).
Recently, a new crop of woman directors has emerged: Kanittha Kwanyoo (Arpat), Saraswadee Wongsompetch (Yes Or No), Bongkot Benjarongkakul (Sad Beauty) and Manassanan Panlertwongkul (LoveSucks). There are also a number of young short filmmakers who're poised to move on to feature filmmaking.
Even though to distinguish between "male" and "female" directors is increasingly pointless in the world of gender fluidity, the collective rally for the film industry to promote a non-male perspective through the works of non-male filmmakers has gained momentum in the past few years -- in Hollywood, internationally and in Thailand.
PROGRAMME: Weekdays at 5.30pm
- March 1: Arpat (2014) Directed by Kanittha Kwanyoo.
- March 6: Rak Niran (Eternal Love, 1970) Directed by Poranee Suwannatat.
- March 8: Wonder Woman (2017) Directed by Patty Jenkins.
- March 12: Yes Or No (2010) Directed by Sarasawadee Wongsompetch.
- March 14: Dek Toh (2005) Directed by Areeya Sirisopha, Nisa Kongsri.
- March 16: Sad Beauty (2018) Directed by Bongkot Benjarongkakul.
- March 20: Pumaree Si Thong (1988) Directed by Nantana Weerachon.
- March 22: Peen Kliew (1994) Directed by Oranuch Ladpanna.
- March 23: • 1pm: LoveSucks (2015) Directed by Manassanan Panlertwongkul.• 3pm: Karaoke Girl (2013) Directed by Visra Vijitvadhakarn.March 28: Rak Risya (1979) Directed by Patravadhi Sritrairat.
- March 29: Khaoniew Moo Ping (2006) Directed by Siwaporn Pongsuwan.
- March 31: • 1pm: The Island Funeral (2015) Directed by Pimpaka Towira.• 3pm: By The Time It Gets Dark (2016) Directed by Anocha Suwichakornpong.
For more information, call 02-482-2013 / 02-482-2014 or visit http://facebook/ThaiFilmArchivePage.
