Thai movies at Berlinale

Thailand is being represented at the Berlin International Film Festival by four films, though none are in competition for the Golden Bear.

Among the titles is Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s The Adventures of Iron Pussy, which was turned down by the Bangkok International Film Festival because it was shot on digital and was apparently too controversial to be shown.

However, Apichatpong, whose previous film Blissfully Yours won the Un Certain Regard at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, will introduce Berliners to his latest, The Adventures of Iron Pussy, the story of a transvestite super-spy (Michael Shaowanasai) hired by the Thai government to foil a wicked scheme hatched by an evil megalomaniac.

Another gay-themed film, Beautiful Boxer, will show in Berlin as well. The debut film by director Ekachai Uekrongtham, it is based on the true story of transvestite muay thai champion Nong Toom.

Sexuality is among the issues dealt with another film, Nonzee Nimibutr’s OK Baytong. It’s about a young Buddhist monk who leaves the monkhood to care for his niece after his sister is killed in a terrorist attack in South Thailand. Cloistered in the pagoda since he was a young boy, the monk is confronted by feelings of sexual longing for a neighbouring businesswoman, as well as hatred and fear for the Muslims he thinks are responsible for his sister’s death.

More innocent times are dealt with in last year’s box office hit Fan Chan (My Girl). Berliners will have a chance to feel nostalgic about growing up in a small town in 1980s Thailand – even if they’ve never been to Thailand. Even if they can’t relate to the music, the universal themes of childhood memories, young love, two quarrelsome hairdressers and the dangers of sleeping in will resonate.