Films about Thailand - feature and documentary
When nostalgia for Thailand rushes over, the simplest thing is to take and watch a film made in this country. Well, this is besides viewing photos on social networks or your own. Alternatively, open Youtube, as practice has shown, there is simply an unrealistic number of different videos, both professional / documentary and amateur.
Not too long ago I looked «Teen in a billion», I liked it very much! Not even because of Ty, but by himself. Before that I looked forbidden «Anna and the King», «Impossible» about the tsunami, «Chocolate» (the topic of autism is close), «Beach» and «Bachelor Party 2» in Bangkok. It's funny but «Beach» I looked many years ago, when for me Tai was some incredibly distant and exotic country, I didn't even think that I would have a rather big part of my life connected with him. And here «Bachelor party» not at all about Tai, although for some reason he is remembered when they talk about films about Thailand - «Sucked by Bangkok»... I know Bangkok from a completely different side. What films do you still know and watch?
The content of the article
Art films
Anna and the King
(Anna and the King, 1999)
One of the most controversial Western films banned in Thailand because «denigrates the image of King Mongkut». The film is based on the book. There is an earlier adaptation of the same theme and even a musical. The main character of the film is a young and attractive lady who came to Siam to teach English to numerous royal children. The plot unfolds against the backdrop of the vibrant and exotic life of Siam XIX. Interestingly, most of the filming took place not in Thailand, but on Penang Island in Malaysia.
Movie Trailer:
Impossible
(Lo imposible, 2012)
Spanish film about tsunami of 2004 in Thailand based on true events. The film is based on the story of a Spanish family of five (parents and three sons). All five survived. Maria Belen Alvarez, whose real story is told in the film, consulted the film's scriptwriter and, already during the filming, helped to enter the character of the leading role.
Billion dollar teen or Top's secret
(Top Secret, 2011)
This is a Thai film about an enterprising teenager who, already at 16, made good money in various ways. Unexpected life collisions in the form of the bankruptcy of his father with millions in debts pushed the resourceful guy to find a solution to financial problems. This time everything ended well: after a few years, the guy not only paid off his family debts, but also became a baht billionaire selling seaweed chips.
Trailer with English subtitles:
Wonderful boxer
(Beautiful boxer, 2003)
Thai film based on the true story of a kickboxer who has publicly stated that he is a transsexual. After victories in the ring, Nong Tum changed gender. The main role in the film was played by professional kickboxer Asani Suwan, who spent more than a year preparing for filming, studying acting. The film has received many awards and more nominations. The prototype of the protagonist, (already in the female incarnation) Parinya Charoenphol, helped with the filming of the film and even played one of the secondary roles in it.
Ghost flight
(Dark flight, 2012)
Thai horror film about the paranormal while in flight. Passengers see ghosts and this makes them noticeably nervous. It gets worse. Only the strongest in spirit will survive, who managed not to fall into madness and retained their composure. Yes, this is not the most high-budget film and there are some bloopers in it, and the special effects are not very impressive. In general, the film is not for everybody..
Beach
(The Beach, 2000)
The same «Beach» starring Leonardo DiCaprio, who made Maya Bay in southern Thailand one of the world's most hyped landmarks. You can talk a lot about this film, over the years it has become a cult. This is a beautiful legend about life in paradise and its dark sides. True, now, from 2015, the film looks rather naive and childish. And yet, he marked an entire era in the life of Thailand and greatly influenced the country's image and recognition throughout the world. The film was filmed in different locations, both in the north and south of Thailand..
Chocolate
(Chocolate, 2008)
The film is about an autistic girl who independently trained in martial arts and is at war with the mafia. The actress, who played the main role, studied martial arts for several years and performed all the stunts during the filming. In 2009, the film was nominated for the Asian Film Awards in the category «best debutant». From the point of view of the plot, the film is not ideal, but its dynamism cannot be denied, so for lovers of Muay Thai and spectacular cinema it is quite suitable.
Trailer:
Documentaries
Katya and the prince. The story of one fiction
(2014)
A documentary film about a noblewoman, daughter of a state councilor and son of the Siamese king Rama the Fifth. A chance meeting ended with a wedding in 1906 and departure to Bangkok. A book by Konstantin Paustovsky was written based on the real life story of Ekaterina Desnitskaya «Distant years». The documentary film VGTRK Culture tells about a real story and its continuation on the land of Siam.
Girls in the ring
(Buffalo Girls, 2012)
In Thailand, boxing is practiced not only by adults, but also by girls 8-12 years old. This is a very harsh practice, contrary to European views of childhood, but nevertheless, the Buffalo Girls, as these children are called, do participate in the competition in the ring. The documentary tells the stories of children who participate in boxing matches, train and fight for the title of champions. Winning the final competition brings not only fame, but also a cash prize.
Videos from Youtube
Old
1919, bw footage about high society in Siam:
1930s, Bangkok:
Old surveys of ancient architectural objects:
1940, bw shooting:
1944 bombing of Bangkok:
1946, military parade in Bangkok:
1946, Bangkok, bw footage, young king:
1950s, Chao Phraya, Bangkok:
1958, Prince and Princess of Thailand in Moscow:
1960s, street food in Bangkok:
1964-1965, Bangkok:
1965, Bangkok, streets:
1966, village life:
1968:
1970s, life on a boat:
1971, the streets of Bangkok:
1977, Bangkok:
1977, village life:
1970-1979, Bangkok, channels:
1979, Pattaya, Regent Hotel. Many of us have not yet been born, and German tourists are already filming a color video of someone flying with a parachute behind a boat. And the sun loungers have not changed since then:
1979, Pattaya. Beaches, jet skis, cafes - everything is the same, only a little less people:
Late 1980s:
More historical videos can be viewed on the National Video Archives of Thailand Channel
Modern
2003, Silom Skytrain Line:
2007, Northwest Thailand:
Two-hour video with a walk through the streets of Bangkok:
Modern aerial photography Ayutthaya ::
Modern aerial footage of Bangkok:
Modern aerial footage of Phi Phi:
Modern Thailand, 44 minutes video:
Ayutthaya:
In Russian
Thai Islands and Schools with Andrey Ponkratov.
2013, Sergey Shnurov in Thailand:
One and a half hour film about Thailand, Golden Globes: