Three Most Important Thai Directors

The polls of three most important Thai directors, voted by those people in the international film community, have finally been complete. Apologize for my delay due to a bunch of my writing assignments. Around 80-90 emails had been sent to those whom I know personally or those whom were forwarded by other friends. And 45 emails were sent back. The score might not be really high because I wanted to make sure that all the voters regularly follow up on Thai cinema, not only those who watched a few films in the recent years. Due to these criteria, there were about ten persons who politely asked to reserve their selections. They said it was quite a tough job for them to make a decision who would be the best. Well, never mind. We understand that and anyway, thank you for being up-front.

One of the main problems that was encountered by almost all of the respondents is due to the time frame. Do we mean all-time or only contemporary directors? Indeed we want to focus only on the contemporary ones. But several respondents really see that the term ‘important’ should really mean those who are important at all time. So we decide to make a special mark on these directors. It is not fair to compare them with the active directors while they might not make any films in the last several years.

Here is the final result!

Apichatpong, top in the total points.	Pen-Ek cames as the No. 1 for the mentions.
Wisit Sasanatieng	Nonzee Nimibutr, more votes from Asia.

*The white remarks mean these directors did not have any works in the last five years; some others have already passed away.

COMMENTS

Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Pen-Ek Ratanatuang
Wisit Sasanatieng
Nonzee Nimibutr
Prince Chatreechalerm Yukul
Prachya Pinklaew
miscellaneous

Apichatpong Weerasesotkul

Joe made some special movies. It should also be put into the context of usual Thai movies: comedy, thriller, some beauties... His works mostly are similar to so-called arthouse movies, and it is too few Thai directors whom are lucky to produce them and let people all over the world know. Should there are more lucky people like Apichatpong, the picture of Thai Movie will be more diversified.

- Because his Tropical Malady is definitively a masterpiece which redefined storytelling, it also deals with return to primitive times with an avant-garde touch. Last but not least, Apichatpong leads the way to a fresh generation of interesting independent filmmakers (as Thai indie movement).

- Not only the most important Thai director or one of the most important in Southeast Asia, but in the world at large as well. Challenging (and triumphing over!) common notions of narrative cinema, while exploring simple topics with such raw, primal emotional force and honesty. Truly exciting to watch, as he continues to experiment with the medium, and to grow as an artist.

- Far and away the top for me. Not just because he's been validated with the most prestigious festival prizes either; he'd make my list on the strength of Mysterious Object at Noon alone, and secured the top slot as soon as I saw Blissfully Yours.  Haunted Houses, Adventures of Iron Pussy and especially Tropical Malady are above and beyond.

- The reputation of this most consciously 'artistic' of all contemporary Thai filmmakers has benefited greatly from repeat visits and victories in Cannes, which in turn has fueled interest in Canada, the US, and Europe. I am not boasting on anybody's behalf here, but I believe the Singapore International Film Festival retrospected Apichatpong way before he made waves in Cannes. I have been hearing critics say how they perceive him as an innovator in film language and structure. These are big claims and are open to debate of course, though I agree Apichatpong's aesthetic is challenging. Nevertheless, this is excellent publicity for a hardworking and daring filmmaker.

- In my view, and I suspect you may agree, the only really important director is Apichatpong.  He is clearly one of the most original and talented filmmakers in the world.  I think he is just naturally gifted in a way that we rarely see - somehow everything he does seems just perfect.  It's too early to say that he is the best filmmaker in the world, but maybe one day in the future people may be saying that.  However, I don't know if foreigners - including myself - can really understand his films without a Thai person explaining them to us.  

- I like his interest about Thai legend and land..... I think he try to searching for original images about his roots, and then his movies are very sensitive and powerful.

- Prize in Cannes made Thai Film well known internationally. Make possibility of Thai ilm widely and encourage young filmmaker (especially Indies Film maker)in Thailand.

Pen-ek Ratanaruang

- Perhaps Apichatpong is too "arthouse", and people often thinking about Thai movie is often B-grade movies... I do not mean Pen-ek has made any masterpiece, but his works are situated in the point between art (difficult to understand?) and story-telling mode (I mean melodrama), and get his place among Thai movies. - Because he knows to entertain in the Best way. Besides, he never makes the same film and his cinematic vision is powerful. - His films are the most intelligent and perhaps beautiful aesthetically and emotionally. As well, he is probably the most successful at international films festivals (despite Apichatpong's recent success)

- Uniquely cosmopolitan. A great storytelling who has matured and grown more complex with each film. Found a strong niche group of collaborators (Doyle, Asano, Prabda Yoon) who are just as interested in erasing strictures and discovering the work through the process. Invisible Waves will be a very exciting film to see.

- I've seen all his feature films so far and though his work is sometimes uneven. It's always very interesting. Seems like the most likely candidate to have a true breakout arthouse hit in the West one of these days.

- A remarkable story-teller whose films are interesting and engaging. Last Life in the Universe marked an experimental and pensive shift in directorial mood after 6ixtynin9 and Monrak Transistor, both of which could be categorised more as conventional crowd-pleasers (but compelling ones nevertheless). Most of his films are underscored by black humour and are comparable to the plots of the Coen Brothers, which I believe is one reason why they continue to attract interest. It remains to be seen if Invisible Waves will sustain his 'arthouse' interests as demonstrated in Last Life.

- I suppose I'd have to say that Pen-ek is number two.  I'm not sure if he is truly important in world cinema terms, but there is a feeling or a perspective in his films that is important to me personally (and to many other foreigners).  This is a feeling that I cannot get from any other Thai filmmaker, maybe it's more like Japanese or something, so I can understand if people think his films are not really very 'Thai'.  I'm not sure whether this is important, but it's possible that Wisit's films are a better blend of Thai and foreign perspective - they can communicate some kind of Thai-ness to foreigners in a way foreigners can easily understand, whereas Pen-ek's films seem to talk to foreign viewers in their own language(s).

But I should say that, from an European viewpoint, Pen-ek is definitely more well-known than Apichatpong. Not many people know about Pen-ek, but some do because Last Life has been distributed in the theatres and is on DVD, whereas Apichatpong's films have only been at the London Film Festival and the ICA arts centre.  

- He should be called as 'Asian' director, rather than Thai. I think his perspective is interesting as a Thai outsider, elite and movie mania.

- Just like Nonzee,his film was invited to all over the world and made people know Thai Film internationally, with co-production in many countries.  

- Brilliant and very original conception & execution of themes in film terms)

- Mainstream appeal that can rank with world's best

Wisit Sasanatieng
- Because of his postmodern Thainess: a stunning retro-modern production design with a message.

- Just a very very fun filmmaker. :)

- Perhaps I shouldn't place him on the basis of the only film of his I've seen (Citizen Dog has yet to play near me) but extremely important to my conception of Thai cinema if only because Tears of the Black Tiger was the first subtitled Thai film I ever saw (I was lucky to be in Chiang Mai during the week or two that it played theatres there in 2000.)

- Wisit's sense of visual style is developing a noticeable pattern. From the international success of Tears of the Black Tiger to Citizen Dog, it's one that relies more on technology and camera tricks than traditional framing and compositional strategies. However, his flair for imagery outshines his narrative and directorial control. Citizen Dog is a fine piece of cinema, but had his command of visuals not been as strong, I think the film would have failed because it was the narrative aspect of his directing that let him down. Lesser known is his screenwriting work for Dang Bireley and Nang Nak, two films correspondingly unheard of outside Asia.

- Citizen Dog was very original and witty.

Nonzee Nimibutr
- The million baht director. Made one of the most successful films of all time, Nang Nak, as well films like 2499 and Jan Dara all did well at the box office. He also uses social retrospection in his feature films.

- He made Thai Film recognized not only internationally but also Thai people by themselves, especially by Daeng Bailey & Nang-nak.

- Not only directing film but also producing so many & good quality Thai Film and can send to international market. He is a good spokeperson of Thai Film, especially in Japan. He was invited to symposium about Thai Movie twice to explain about Thai Film industry.

Prince Chatri Chalerm Yukol  
His contribution to Thai cinema is immense. His films with social commentary and criticisms of certain aspects of Thai society as well as his recent run of historical epics are all worth note.

Phachya Pinkaew
- His work brings popularity of Thai movies, at least those who love good action movies, but he have to work with Phanom "Jaa" Yeerum (Tony Jaa) and gains the popularity. Who really care his previous works, besides Ongbak and Tom Yum Goong?

- One note about my number three pick,  Prachya Pinkaew. During my time in Bangkok, one of the biggest revelations was his strength as producer and how he appears to be a driving force of mainstream Thai cinema. I am reluctant in some ways to put him on the list, but if the question is who are the most important directors as percieved by the international community, then with with only one release in North America to date, Prachya far surpasses the popularity and familiarity than people have with the combined works of Pen-ek or Apichatpong

So maybe it has to be Prachya, just because of the exposure his films provide.  For example, foreigners now want to know about Mum Jokmok's films, because they've seen him in Ong Bak.  If Ong Bak wasn't made, no one overseas would know who Mum is.  But I think Prachya is really a very bad director who only gets away with it because he has other people like Jaa, Mum and Panna in his team.  

General comments

- For the third one, I'm not sure.  It's a bit too obvious to say Wisit, and I don't really want to say Prachya Pinkaew because his films influence the Western perception of Thai cinema in a way that I don't like. To give you a proper overseas perspective I can't say someone like Kongdej (Cherm and Sayew) because I wouldn't know about him if I didn't live in Thailand.  Jira Maligool is not known at all overseas, and I think Thai people really overestimate how well-known Nonzee is overseas - no one in my country has heard of him at all.  I never really think of Oxide Pang as Thai - more like Hong Kong - but in any case his recent films are all quite bad.  Ekachai Uekrongtham might turn out to be important as he has a kind of international style, but it's too early to say.  I think Pakpoom (Shutter) has a lot of potential, but we have to wait and see. And Pimpaka could be important if she could only manage to finish another film!  

Wow, that was hard work!

On the other hand, if you asked me who my personal favourite Thai filmmakers are, the list will be a bit different.  It's difficult because not many filmmakers have made more than one or two films and because some filmmakers work together, but I'd go for Pen-ek as my favourite - a very farang opinion!  Maybe as number two I like Yuthlert, even though I cannot get all of his jokes.  I just like the way he can always guess what the audience is expecting and then does something totally different.  But I hope he isn't getting stuck in the ghost movie genre.  And number three I guess I have to say Apichatpong, although I don't feel like I really understand his films very well.  But I can't think of anyone else I'd like to choose.

- There are a handful of other contemporary filmmakers whom I think could benefit from more exposure internationally: among them, Nonzee Nimibutr, Mingmongkol Sonakul, and Chatrichalerm Yukol (his early films in particular).

- One name that almost makes it to the list would be Yuthlert Sippapak. From his previous films and knowing him personally, I feel that he is a talent that given the chance, will show us many great works in the future. 

- If your question is, "Who are the most important directors are in the eyes of the international community," and the results are for the Thai community, I would first tell them that the perception of the Thai film industry for international observers is severely limited. I cannot stress this enough. 

This is because the exposure that we get is only from a very small amount of films seen in Festivals and next to no proper theatrical releases. As such, the results of this question are going to be extremely skewed. 

- I'll only have 2, Wisit is too pop-artist, Nonzee is too conventional, Prachya is the most influential but not important to my understanding...

- I'm not  certain all 3 are necessarily my favorite Thai directors, but I think they have the most significant international reputations at the moment.  With different criteria, I might vote differently.

Name of Voters

Sabrina Baracetti, festival director, Far East Film Festival, Italy
Wouter Barendrecht, producer and distributor, Netherlands-Hong Kong
Davide Cazzaro, film researcher, Italy
Victor Fowler Calzada, Publication Department, International Movies and TV School. (EICTV) Cuba .
Philip Cheah, festival director, Singapore International Film Festival
Anne Ciecko, professor, University of Massachusetts Amherst, US
Joe Cummings, Writer, Bangkok Thailand
Brian Darr, www.hellonfriscobay.blogspot.com, US
Derek Elley, critic, Variety
Russel Edwards, critic, Variety
Erich William Fleshman Actor/Documentary Creator, Thailand
Roger Garcia, distributor, The Philippines - USA
Charlotte Garson, critic, Cahiers du Cinema , France
Colin Geddes, International Programmer, Toronto International Film Festival
James Hewison, festival director, Melbourne International Film Festival
Ron Holloway, critic, Hong Kong - US
Janice Hong, film journalist, Movieweek, South Korea
Yomota Inuhiko, professor, Meiji Gakuin University , Japan
Kenji Ishizaka, Japan Foundation Tokyo, Japan
Kim Ji-Seok, Asian program director, Pusan International Film Festival
Eva Joerholt, professor, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Mokko Keisuke, film journalist, Japan
Adam Knee, Thai film professor, USA
Gary Mak, Broadway Cinematheque, Hong Kong
Sherman Ong, filmmaker, Singapore/Malaysia
Nicholas Palevsky, critic, Bangkok Thailand
Darcy Paquet, film journalist and critic, US - South Korea
Alberto Ramos Ruiz, Havana Film Festival , Cuba
Prima Rusdi, scriptwriter, Indonesia
Marie Le Sourd (Ms), Acting Director, Cultural Exchange, Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF)
Chuck Stephens, Film Comment, Contributing Editor, Bangkok Thailand
Miwa Takasugi, journalist, Japan
Lorna Tee, Focus Films, Hong Kong
Max Tessier, critic, France
Alexis A. Tioseco, critic, Philippines
Andreas Ungerboeck, critic, Austria
Tom Waller, producer, Thailand
Brandon Wee, writer, Singapore – Canada
Zhang Wenjie, programmer, Cinematheque , Singapore
Robertson Williamson, critic and academic, UK - Thailand
Eric Lik Shun Wong, www.cinemathai.com, Hong Kong
Sebu, http://www.nihon-fr.com/cinema/thailande/, France
Wise Kwai, Thai Film Journal
Wong Tuckcheong, programmer, Malaysian Film Society , Malaysia
Julietta Zacharova, Program Director, Karlovy Vary IFF, Czech Republic