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Thai Film Festival

Thai Film Festival: Iron Ladies

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

2000

104 minutes

An underdog Thai male volleyball team, made up mostly of gays, transvestites and transsexuals, overcomes all odds as they compete in the 1996 national championships. Based on a true story, this provocative and inspiring film was a mainstream hit in Thailand. The film contains pervasive themes of sexuality and strong sexual language but no sexual scenes.

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Thai Film Festival: The Overture

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

2004

104 minutes

Subtly, sensuously presented from its opening shot on, this film imaginatively recreates the life of one of Thailand’s greatest traditional musicians, a master of the ranad-ek, a type of wooden xylophone. Scenes from the musician’s maturity alternate with episodes from his struggle as a young man to learn his art, in a captivating story that probes music’s deep meanings for human life and culture. Directed by Itthisoontorn Vichailak. The film contains occasional strong language.  

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Thai Film Festival: Ong-Bak: The Thai Warrior

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

2007

105 minutes

Sensational Thai martial arts superstar Tony Jaa portrays Ting, a religious young warrior who has taken a vow of peace but is forced to use his powers to recover the priceless head of a sacred statue when it is stolen by a ruthless crime lord. In this relentlessly action-packed film Jaa performs truly incredible feats without stunt doubles or special effects. Rated R, for strong martial arts violence, strong language, some drug use and sexuality.

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Thai Film Festival: Wonderful Town

7:00 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

2008

92 minutes

A young architect from Bangkok, Ton, arrives in a seaside Thai resort to supervise the construction of a hotel, in the wake of the 2004 tsunami. He falls in love with a shy inn-keeper, Na, but their secret relationship is threatened by Na’s gangster brother and haunted by the disaster that swept away 8,000 people in one day. The film is subdued and introspective, with echoes of Kafka’s The Castle. The film contains brief nudity and one mild sex scene.

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Thai Film Festival: Nang Nak

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

1999

100 minutes

In this beautifully filmed and intensely performed version of a classic Thai ghost story, a soldier, Mak, returns home from war to resume life with his wife, Nak, and child, discovering only gradually that they died long ago. Directed by Nonzee Nimibutr and winner of four awards at the Pan Asia Film Festival. The film contains startling images of corpses.

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Thai Film Festival: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

7:00 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2012
Cornell Auditorium in Plaster Hall
Admission: free

2010

113 minutes

A dying man, Boonmee, chooses to spend his last days on his country farm, surrounded by his family. His mystical journey to the next life blends reality with dreams, visions and visits from his deceased wife and son. This film, directed by the acclaimed Apichatpong Weerasethakul, won the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival and has been called “mysterious and lovely” (New York Times) and “haunting and hypnotic” (Rolling Stone). The film contains a segment of implied, mythic sex between a princess and a catfish.

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