Nang Nak (Thailand)
Directed by Nonzee Nimibutr who will be present at the screening with actor Winai Kraibutr Screening Courtesy: Cinemasia Co Ltd & NETPAC
Supported by Siam Winery, who will supply Monsoon Valley Wines.

 

 

8pm Thurs, August 26, 2010

Members: Free Non-members 150 baht Wine 50 baht

 

The film won the NETPAC Award, at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, 2000, "for its artistic integrity with which the film explores a popular legend from a woman's perspective, and for its universal appeal".

"Nang Nak", one of the most famous Thai ghost-stories became one of the biggest hits in Thai film history. It centres around the intense love of a young couple, Mak and Nak, who live in a remote village surrounded by lush forests.

The pregnant Nak is distraught when Mak is sent off on military service. She dies while giving birth in his absence. The baby also dies during birth

Mak is injured in the war, recuperates and returns home. He is greeted warmly by his wife and baby and they catch up on their lost time together.

It’s much later that Mak realises, much to his pain and horror, that his wife and baby are both dead and he has been living with their spirits.

The villagers urge him to stay away from Nak. She becomes desperate and begins to harm them physically. That's when they call upon a revered Buddhist monk to come and allay her spirit and send her back to the grave. The parting between the young couple is fraught with sorrow.

What makes ‘Nang Nak’ different from standard ghost-stories is its realism and feeling.

The love between Mak and Nak is so strong that one almost feels sorry for the dead wife and can empathise with the lovers’ deep pain of separation.

This film-version was directed by Nonzee Nimibutr, one of the leaders of the new wave cineam in Thailand. His 1997 film "Dang Bireleys and the Young Gangsters", followed by Nang Nak in 1999, invigorated the Thai film industry by being hugely successful at home and winning plaudits abroad.

Nang Nak was initially more successful than "Titanic", earning in three weeks what the latter did in three months.

Shot amid Thaialnd's rich flora and fauna, the film's sweeping visuals and eerie atmosphere adds to the haunting magic of the work. Young actor Vinai Kraibutr and actress Inthira Charoenpura were little-known when they made the film, but now are top names in the Thai film industry. The script was written by Wisit Sasanathieng, now an internationally renowned Thai indie director.

The film won the top Thailand Film Association Awards, as also awards at the Bangkok Film Festival and the Asia-Pacific Film festival.


What the critics said:

Village Voice - "Posh, luxuriantly photographed, genre-exercise."

Philadelphia City Paper – "Something like 'Beloved', re-envisioned by a Thai."

BeyondHollywood.com - "Nang Nak is a lush film filled with haunting imagery, its scenes in and along the river are some of the most beautiful renderings of the Thai countryside."

DVD Times - "What makes Nang Nak a genuine tragedy is that everything that happens, does so for a perfectly rational and well-meaning reason. From a Western point of view this is a refreshing break from the norm."


Director Nonzee Nimibutr will be present at the screening of the film with actor Winai Kraibutr.

The director's other noteworthy films include Jan Dara, Okay Baytong, Queens of Lankasuka, which created waves on the international film festival circuit.

Queens of Lankasuka, made in 2008, was screened at the Venice Festival and was the most expensive film made in Thai history.

Winai also starred in Queens of Lankasuka and the internationally-acclaimed 2000 hit Bang Rajan.

To celebrate the screening of this unique Thai film, in the presence of its reputed director and actor, the Hua Hin-based Siam Winery has kindly agreed to serve their much-touted Monsoon Valley wines.


Don't miss yet another arresting film in our Contemporary World Film Series.

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