The controversially edgy monastic mystery thriller Mindfulness and Murder hits Thai cinemas this week.The Thai title is Sop Mai Ngeap (ศพไม่เงียบ ), literally "the corpse is not quiet". It's rated 15+, and was passed without any cuts by censors.
Directed by Tom Waller, and adapted from one of the "Father Ananda" mystery novels by Thailand-based writer Nick Wilgus, the hard-boiled tale has an ex-cop-turned-monk investigating the murder of a homeless boy in the Buddhist temple. As Ananda uncovers clues, it's revealed that all is not holy behind those sacred walls.
Vithaya Pansringarm stars as Father Ananda with Thaitanium rapper Way Prinya as a junior monk and veteran actor Jaran "See Tao" Petcharoen as the temple's abbot. "Kaew" Charina Sirisingha of the pop group ZaZa plays a reporter. Late actor "Muek" Abhijati Jusakul, who died last September, portrays Inspector Somchai. And former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova (recently split from her ex-tennis-star husband Paradorn Srichapan) makes a cameo.
Mindfulness and Murder had previously won awards on the festival circuit.
Waller's De Warrenne Pictures secured a release through M Pictures, the distribution arm of Thailand's biggest theatre company, Major Cineplex, which will show it exclusively in the chain's 21 digital "Silver Screen" halls. The indie thriller is positioned as alternative programming to a certain mega-budget Thai movie that's been unspooling on virtually all the screens in all the multiplexes over the past week.
There's a Facebook page as well as a trailer (embedded below).
Only rated 15+? So it should be as strong as 2010 'In the shadow of Naga'. Let us know.
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