Legacy of Thai films overseas

The first Thai movie to be screened overseas was Santi-Veena by Marut (aka Tawee Na Bangchang) at the First Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Tokyo in 1954, according to an article in the Bangkok Post today. The film won cinematography and art direction awards.

Producer Ratana Pestonji was the first Thai filmmaker to send a movie, New Petch (Diamond Finger), to the Berlin International Film Festival in 1959. (Or was it Black Silk in 1961?)

The Post's recitation of Thai films overseas points to a long dry spell for Thai films overseas that lasted until 1981, when Cherd Songsri's Plae Kao (Old Scar) (later remade as Kwan-Riam) won Best Picture at the Festival of Three Continents in Nantes, France.

At the 31st Berlin International Film Festival, Permphol Chuey-aroon's Luang Taa was entered into the contest, while four Thai movies - Theptida Rongram (Hotel Angel), Thongpoon Khokbhodi, Khon Poo Kao (Mountain People) and Phai Daeng (Red Bamboo) - were screened as part of Southeast Asia Panorama.

In 1984, Ampon Lampoon snatched the Best Actor award at The First Southeast Asian Film Festival for his role as a drug-addicted teenager in Nam Poo, directed by Euthana Mukdasanit. And in 1986, Euthana's Phisua Lae Dokmai (Butterfly and Flower) won Best Picture from the Hawaii Film Festival.

Since 1986, Chatrichalerm Yukol's movies, such as Khon Liang Chang (The Elephant Keeper)and Sia Dai 2 (The Pity 2 or Daughter 2) have been Thailand's submissions for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

After a decade of absence, Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Fun Bar Karaoke went to the Berlin Film Festival in 1997 in the International Forum section. His latest film, Last Life in the Universe, earned Tadanobo Asano the best actor award at the Venice Film Festival 2003.

In 2000, the Pang Brothers' Bangkok Dangerous won the Fipresci award Critic's Award at the Toronto Film Festival.

In 2001, Wisit Sasanathieng's Fah Talai Jone (Tears of the Black Tiger) went down in history as the first Thai film selected for the Cannes Film Festival.

Director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Blissfully Yours won in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2002, and his Tropical Malady will enter the main competition this year.