According to a festival press release and the Film Archive (Public Organisation) Thailand, a restored print of the 1954 romantic drama “Santi-Vina” will screen at the prestigious film festival as part of the Cannes Classics programme.

Directed by Thavi “Kru Marut” na Bangchang with a screenplay by Vichit Kounavudhi and cinematography by RD Pestonji, “Santi-Vina” won three prizes at the 1954 Asia-Pacific Film Festival in Tokyo.

However after screening that year in Bangkok, the film disappeared.

Found in Russia, China

Pestonji’s son Santa Pestonji directed a remake in 1976, but it is in poor condition.

Around 2014, traces of the original “Santi-Vina” were found, in the British Film Institute (BFI) as well as in the China Film Archive and at the Gosfilmofond in Russia. The film was restored using state-of-the-art digital technology by L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory and will be shown during the Cannes Film Festival from May 11 to 22.