Discoveries from Thailand World Cinema

"Though the Mountains Divide, and the Oceans are Wide" is a short video essay on the interrelation between childhood encounters and current realities through a personal story of the artist - Belle Phromchanya - who has moved from Thailand to the Netherlands in her adulthood. The video compiles home video footage of family trips during the 1990s taken by her father, along with video materials of a senior Thai artist living in Amsterdam taken by Phromchanya herself. The senior artist, who is around the same age as her father, has been a subject of Phromchanya's work until his sudden passing in 2020. By layering these early years' memories with the struggles of dealing with the uncertainty of daily life, the video shares attempts of capturing the temporarily of the moment - and both beauty and unsettling experience of being elsewhere.

Yet another in the series.

More Phi Pop madness.

Rivers and Suwichakornpong’s first collaboration, commissioned by the 2018 Thai Biennale.

Documentary about film school and film students in Thailand.

A young soldier stationed in the troubled southern Thai region is on his annual leave to his village in northern Thailand. Upon his return, he finds out that his girlfriend has now settled down with a new Western lover. Blaming the situation on the military career he has chosen for himself, he starts to get angry with her and everyone around him. His sister reminds him that forgiveness is not as difficult as he imagines, but that it has to start from within.

In Bangkok, the last forest home of monkeys is about to be cleared by landowners, forcing a group of animal lovers to search for a new sanctuary for them.

The bookshop owner opened his shop on the last day. He did everything as he usually does every day before closing the shop.

"Yim", a christian woman who suddenly reunite with "Bow", her long absented close friend from high school, again in church. Memories of their youth filled with friendship and intimacy are gradually recounted through old footage from a handycam that Bow once gave to Yim as a birthday present. But their relationship is never the same again when Yim decided to confesses to her sin...

Gap, a handsome young man, a part-time employee at a Happy Time convenience store, meets Som, a young woman who has lost her memory. Som tries to find out who she is and why she always wants to follow Gap. Gap begins to be frightened by Som's appearance.

The state of Thai society intertwined with the narration of the fable "The Frogs Who Desired a King."

A man is shopping in the mall.

A college graduate finds an old photo of his high school best friend, leading him on a journey to revisit their special place and reflect on their timeless bond.

A boy who heard strange sounds He then set out in the forest with his grandfather to find ‘ Wild Ghost ’ that could be the cause of the sound he heard. But during the journey, that sound took him to find some truths related to his grandfather.

Khwam Suk Khwam Song Cham Mai Mi Thi Sinsut is the name of an episode of Bird - Thongchai McIntyre's Bird Bird Show concert and is Bird's last concert before asking to stop. Temporary break from work in the entertainment industry for 2 years. Performed for the 5th time on 23 August - 15 September 1991 at the main auditorium. Thailand Cultural Center, 29 rounds, 58,000 viewers. Guests are Lam Tad Mae Prayun, Phueng Noi Club, Thai Cultural Preservation Club. This is the concert with the highest number of rounds in history at the Thailand Cultural Center. And it was Bird's first concert that took almost 3 hours to perform. In this concert there was a special song that Rewat Putthinan had composed for Bird to sing before taking a break from work. The title of the song, the same name as the concert, is "Happiness, Memories, Never Ending."

Thai horror film.

Around 5:15pm, I saw a line of construction workers walking home. Some were in pairs chatting, others were gathered around an ATM. Two women walked out of a 7-11 and were eating ice cream. I also saw an older man walking alone, staring at the ground deep in thought. He reminded me of my father. So I went back with Parinee Buthrasri and brought a camera. I later got to meet with six workers (from Thailand, Myanmar and Vietnam) with Komtouch Napattaloong and Pom Bunsermvicha. The audio is excerpts from the interviews which were recorded separately.

3 men singing 'Bad Boy'.

A man has to go back in time to fix a specific failure that caused by humanity.

When the director want to reveal the most secret in life to close friends and mother, what will be the moment these people know the truth? The film conveys the feelings of a person who has had to lie all his life. By when the movie is finished, the director said "Doing this documentary saved my life."

Thai action film. Scenes from this ended up in the Filmark release Twinkle Ninja Fantasy.

A description through my sad times and the new hope for what I want to become.

A story of Wat Wanlayangkool who is a famous writer and a political activist. After the coup he became a political refugee and had to move far away from his family and his home.

This documentary explores the cinematic magic of Bangkok's last remaining stand-alone movie theater through the eyes of its long-serving staff.

Four songs from His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej's (also known as King Rama IX) royal songbook have now inspired four leading Thai directors to interpret their spirit and meaning into four short films.

The Mental Traveller meditates on the passing of time, external behavior and sensory reality for five men on a psychiatric ward. The film was conceived from the director’s connections to his parents and companions as they went through states of sickness, impending death, dementia, grief and temporary insanity. At the same time, it echoes the turbulent years of political upheavals and repercussions in Thailand, resulting in a nation in a state of delirium, lunacy and trauma.

The story of a woman cursed to occasionally transform into a killer snake. Followed by a 1990 sequel.

When Sergeant Kruy is released from prison, a hitman is dispatched to kill him by Yan Yomarat, a kingpin in Korat. However, Kruy was a former mercenary himself, so he takes care of the hitman. He then decides to personally destroy Yan Yomarat's cartel...

A young woman, a first jobber who has been working for 2-3 years, feels burned out from her job and desperately needs a break. She decides to go on a trip with her friends to unwind. However, during the journey, she gradually realizes that the person by her side throughout the trip isn’t the friend she thought she knew.

Sun grows up in his father’s photo shop, where a yearly Christmas photo slowly fades from a full family to just him.

“Woven”, a documentary with a vibrant tapestry that unravels tradition and modern clothes. From the stunning landscapes of England to the rural Isaan region in Thailand, we'll uncover the stories behind traditional clothing. We'll delve into the environmental impact of fast fashion and celebrate the sustainability of traditional textiles, from the intricate embroidery of China Polano to the bold tartans of Scottish kilts. We'll explore the power of clothing to shape identity and challenge societal norms.

A young girl finds an abandoned puppy under a tree and takes it in to raise until she is 16. On New Year's Eve, her dog goes missing and she goes looking for it, while her relationship with her uncle is not so good.

Corroded pixels struggle to form an image as they move through Cold War promises of development in rural Thailand, haunted by archival voices.

Pink Massage is a slow cinema feature that explores intimacy, labor, and moral ambiguity in contemporary Bangkok. Set against the backdrop of a city in constant construction, the film follows the quiet rhythms of everyday life, where touch is defined as work and silence carries emotional weight. Through static compositions, long takes, and ambient sound, Pink Massage observes how moments of proximity and stillness can subtly disrupt routines shaped by economic survival. Rather than offering clear narrative resolutions, the film invites viewers to inhabit uncertainty and reflect on how desire, displacement, and human connection exist within systems that seek to define their value.

Made within the context of remembering the tsunami. The film maker goes to Phuket as it recovered. He thinks the sky is especially beautiful. Much more spectacular than in Bangkok. The radio announces a new tsunami. The panic only lasts briefly. The film maker looks around. He is again struck by the beautiful clouds and the fact that some people were pretty sexually attractive. An ode to the clouds and life.

The Isaan Record spent over 3 years following the fate of people from north-eastern of Thailand who, carrying their hopes of a better life, sought refuge as berry pickers in the forests of Finland and Sweden. They believed that "wild berries" in these civilized countries would revive their lives and help them pay off their debts, so they borrowed money to work there, following the persuasion of the Ministry of Labour and brokers. But unfortunately. They were tricked into working for free and became victims of human trafficking. After working for 3 months, some returned home with empty-handed, burdened with debt. Over the years, reports indicate that there are over 4,000 victims, leading them to form groups to demand justice. While waiting for government agencies to resolve the debt crisis resulting from being tricked into working abroad, a former minister involved in human trafficking and corruption has prospered.

In a whimsical micro-world hidden among vibrant leaves and sprawling plants, a charming herbivore family transform everyday greenery into extraordinary playthings. Through a series of playful and heartwarming vignettes, this animated short reminds us that life is our playground—so go explore and play!

Date: Monday, August 18, 2036: After the eruption of the Mt. Erasmus super volcano in Holland, most of western Europe has been rendered uninhabitable. I am one of the lucky ones who has been given the opportunity to race the lava to the Pacific ocean on the Daorklis 2, the only train still running to the far east.

A love letter from a man who has no future, no dreams, or even any ambition in life, until he encounters people, atmospheres, surroundings, and even the ghosts whose stories he listens to every night.

A young woman wakes up from a long daydream, but soon begins to doubt whether she is truly awake or if everything is just a dream.

A cringy YouTuber is hired to track down a runaway daughter—only to discover she’s shacking up with a demon… in the alley.

To You, in 2000 Years is a video art that explores the intersection of language, oppressive history, and the pursuit of freedom and soul. The work tells a personal experience where the director attempts to record memories, experiences, and contemplative moments that question existence, using film as a tool to create a series of events. Drawing inspiration from the book "The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth," it invites you to join in creating a Lao-Chaiyaphum dialect expression, narrating an ancient fable of tragic love between two individuals who consume bitterness, driven by an unattainable desire in this earthly realm