The two selected episodes are Thailand’s very own Penek Ratanaruang’s “Pob” and “A Mother’s Love” from Indonesian director Joko Anwar.

In “Pob”, Penek  puts his distinct spin on the greed parable with the story of an ambitious photo-journalist who, while visiting his sick mother in the hospital, manages to attract the attention of an elderly spirit with unusual intent. Anwar’s episode tells the tale of an impoverished maid and her son, who, after being locked out of their home by their landlord, are forced to live in the house they are cleaning. When strange noises start coming from the attic, they find more than they bargained for.

This is the first time an Asian TV series has been officially selected since the inception of Primetime programme at TIFF since 2015. The Primetime programme channels the best international television fit for the silver screen, focusing on powerful, smallscreen storytelling that pushes the boundaries of original scripted series and episodic programming.

“Folklore” is an HBO Asia Original series, produced with the support of the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and created by awardwinning Singaporean film maker Eric Khoo.

The series is scheduled to premiere later this year on HBO Asia’s onair, online and ondemand platforms.

The TIFF will be held during September 616.

“A case of sexual assault was filed yesterday (21/8) in our office by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, involving Kevin Spacey, and is under review,” Greg Risling with the prosecutors’ office told AFP Wednesday.

A separate investigation was opened back in April for a complaint about an alleged assault in 1992 involving a man.

Risling did not specify details about this new complaint, or the status of the previous one.

The two-time Academy Award-winner has seen allegations against him pile up on the heels of the #MeToo movement, which began with the fall of Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

Spacey also has open investigations in London, where he directed The Old Vic Theater between 2004 and 2015, and in Nantucket, an island resort near Boston.

The first report that was made public was that of actor Anthony Rapp, 46, who claimed that the actor sexually abused him at age 14, back in 1986.

Spacey apologized to Rapp, claiming not to remember the incident, but remained silent as accusations against him mushroomed.

One actor anonymously told the Vulture portal that Spacey tried to rape him in 1984, when he was 14 years old.

And eight members of the production team of his popular Netflix series “House of Cards” who also denounced “predatory” behavior by Spacey.

After first accusations of abuse against him, Spacey was fired in November from the political series. Then he was dumped from his scenes in Ridley Scott’s latest film, “All the Money in the World,” where was replaced by Christopher Plummer.

Taiwan has long showcased its culture and way of life to Thai film fans through a range of movies covering just about every genre. This year, though, it has decided to spread its wings and is bringing some of its most telling documentaries to town for the inaugural “Taiwan Documentary Film Festival in Bangkok 2018” running from next Thursday to September 2 at SF World Cinema CentralWorld.

The festival draws on the success of the documentary film project, a collaborative effort of SF and the Documentary Club, and will feature eight documentaries screened with Thai and English subtitles.

Among them is “Small Talk”, a touching film in which the director Huang Hui-chen attempts to reveal and reconcile a painful past shared between herself and her mother Anu, a lesbian Taoist priestess. Released in 2016, it had its international premiere at the 2017 Berlin International Film Festival in the Panorama section, and took home the Teddy Award for Best Documentary film.

Another highlight is “Le Moulin”,  which won the Best Documentary prize at the Golden Horse Film Festival 2016. It focuses on Taiwan’s first modern art group, Le Moulin Poetry Society, who emerged in the 1930s after 40 years of Japanese colonial rule with their poetic protest against the colonial power’s cultural superiority. Regarding the Surrealists as their absolute role models, Le Moulin poets composed poetry in an uncompromising and sophisticated style to confront the turbulent era in which they lived.

“Time Splits in the River” is a story about four artists who decide to invite their parents to play the parts of dissidents in 1980s Taiwan. To get prepared for the performance, the artists show the actors footage from that time, initiating the discussion of arts and politics. Although none of them were involved in the event, they are still caught up in the story as well as their own past.

“Sunflower Occupation” will fascinate anyone with an interest in EastAsian politics. It’s the work of nine documentary makers who joined forces to produce a 10-part anthology of the student-led Sunflower Movement. In 2014, while protesting against the Crossstrait Service Trade Agreement that was hastily approved, a group of protestors stormed into the Taiwanese parliament and occupied it for 24 days. Why and how did it happen? What changes did the young generation go through?

After they stormed through the side door of the Legislative Yuan, it was like the door to a bottomless black hole was thrown open. The most eternal and fundamental questions are: What is democracy? What is the government? What is violence? What is the future? What is the happiness we seek? Who are “we”?

The film has received plenty of critical acclaim, with the Hollywood Reporter describing it as “a useful primer on the pluses and pitfalls of political activism in a spin-saturated world”.

In Taiwan, a dead body used for medical dissection is called “a silent teacher”. “The Silent Teacher” therefore tells the story of Mrs Lin whose body is about to be dissected.

Also showing are “The Immortal’s Play” about the life of a Chinese opera actress; “The Mountain”, which focuses on a man who fights for his rights during the Imperialism period; and “Stranger in the Mountain”, which looks at the remaining descendants of the Kuomintang of China.

A complete listing of the films and the times of the screenings can be found at http://www.SFCinemaCity.com

Taiwanese Teasers

– “Taiwan Documentary Film Festival in Bangkok 2018” runs from August 30 to September 2, SF World Cinema CentralWorld.

– Tickets cost Bt160 for a Deluxe Seat and Bt180 for a Premium Seat.

– For more information, call SF Call Centre at (02) 268 8888.

Boyle, a longtime fan who included Craig’s Bond in the opening ceremony he directed for the 2012 London Olympics, was reportedly just beginning the casting process for the movie, slated for release at the end of next year.

“Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig today announced that due to creative differences Danny Boyle has decided to no longer direct Bond 25,” the site said, referencing the producers and star of the long-running British spy movie franchise.

It was not immediately clear whether Boyle’s exit would delay the production, with filming at Pinewood Studios, west of London, expected to begin in December.

There was no announcement on Boyle’s replacement, but the producers were said to be interested in admired Scottish director David Mackenzie (“Hell or High Water”) and Denis Villeneuve (“Blade Runner 2049”) before the “Trainspotting” and “Slumdog Millionaire” director was hired.

The film is due for release on October 25 next year in Britain, with Universal handling the international distribution. MGM and EON Productions plan to release it in the US two weeks later.

Unclear future

Boyle, 61, who won an Academy Award in 2009 for “Slumdog Millionaire,” was due to partner again with screenwriter John Hodge on the new movie.

The pair worked together on two “Trainspotting” movies, in 1996 and 2017, and “The Beach,” starring Leonardo di Caprio.

Boyle, who also directed 2015’s “Steve Jobs” and “28 Days Later” in 2002, had previously said he was working on “a great idea” for a James Bond script but was unsure if it would be made.

Craig is set to make his fifth appearance as the legendary British spy in the 25th, as yet untitled film in the storied 007 franchise.

“What this means for the future of the Bond movies is unclear — obviously Wilson and Broccoli will move to find a new director,” said James White, a film writer for British entertainment magazine Empire.

“And we’d imagine that Hodge’s script will either be dropped or re-written (unless the producers decide it makes more sense to try and keep it), but the bigger question is whether Daniel Craig will stay aboard.”

The movie is expected to be Craig’s last time playing the spy, having previously starred in “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace,” “Skyfall” and “Spectre.”

‘My name’s Elba’

The internet has been buzzing for months — if not years — about the possibility of British actor Idris Elba taking over.

The son of West African immigrants fueled speculation earlier in August that he could be named the first black James Bond, with a cryptic tweet.

“My name’s Elba, Idris Elba,” he tweeted, echoing the super spy’s famous catchline, “The name is Bond, James Bond.”

Elba, 45, made his name in gritty US television drugs drama “The Wire” and won a Golden Globe for his role as a murder detective in “Luther,” before moving to the big screen.

He has starred in blockbusters such as “Thor,” “Pacific Rim” and “Star Trek”, and was nominated for a Golden Globe for playing the title role in “Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.”

Fresh rumors emerged two weeks ago amid reports that Broccoli said it was now “time” for a black actor to take the role.

Boyle’s departure was a rare shock in Hollywood, where big departures on prestige studio projects are often preceded by months of speculation and rumor.

“Barbara Broccoli and Daniel Craig thought ‘Bond 25’ should be good, and Danny Boyle thought that ‘Bond 25’ should be bad,” said IndieWire senior film critic David Ehrlich.

“They were never going to see eye-to-eye on this.”

Director Jon M. Chu was sweating buckets and it’s not entirely because of the humid weather.

Chu, who has worked on big budget Hollywood sequels like G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Now You See Me 2, said Crazy Rich Asians presented a whole new set of challenges for him.

“Sometimes dressing people up for a wedding takes a lot more effort than filming ninjas on a mountain,” Chu shared briefly on the set of Crazy Rich Asians, before rushing back to finish another scene.

Members of the media were observing the filming of an emotionally-charged moment featuring Rachel (Constance Wu, TV’s Fresh Off The Boat) screaming into the night. In the scene with her were Tan Sri Michelle Yeoh and veteran actress Lisa Lu.

Some context: The ladies were all dressed to the nines for a high society wedding. At a later interview, Wu did not want to talk about how she prepared for that screaming scene.

“It’s just actor stuff. If I have to tell you, it would be like I’m telling you how to fix a car, it’s just boring,” Wu, 36, said with a laugh. Mind you, she had to do that scene over and over again just to get it right.

The truth is, there is nothing boring about what her character Rachel goes through in Crazy Rich Asians.

Rachel steps into a whole new world when she visited her boyfriend’s crazy rich family in Singapore. Photo: Warner Bros

For the love of money

Rachel is an Asian-American economics professor living in New York with her charming boyfriend Nicholas Young (Henry Golding). One day, Nicholas invites her back to his country, Singapore, to attend his best friend’s wedding.

It is only then that she finds out that her boyfriend is from a wealthy and well-connected family. Just how wealthy is this guy? Think crazy rich.

Based on the book by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians is said to be inspired by real families and wealthy personalities in Asia. Kwan goes into specific details on what the rich do when they have too much money. From buying a hotel just to get rid of a snobby manager to hiring the Vienna Boys’ Choir for a wedding, nothing is off-limits for the ultra-wealthy characters in the book.

However, Kwan won’t divulge who these actual crazy rich Asians are.

“Nicholas is from this old money family. Wealth is passed through generations. He is very acutely aware that he is the heir to the riches that his family holds,” Golding, 31, said about his character.

It’s one thing to be rich but to be dating someone who is not from the same exclusive social circle? Oh, the madness.

Michelle Yeoh plays a domineering mother in Crazy Rich Asians. Photo: Warner Bros

Financial security

Yeoh, 56, steps in as Eleanor, Nicholas’ mother and respected (think feared) matriach of the Young family. Eleanor makes it clear that she does not approve of Rachel. To be fair, she’s just like most mothers with an only child who is set to inherit the family fortunes; tiger mum becomes (over)protective.

So, Eleanor hatches a plan to sabotage the relationship between Rachel and Nicholas.

“Eleanor would do anything for her son. She would die for him. And the thing is, she’s not afraid to tell him all that,” Yeoh laughed while explaining her character’s motivation.

But that’s not the craziest thing about Crazy Rich Asians. The fact that Hollywood is making a contemporary romantic comedy featuring Asians in leading roles is something unheard of.

Wu noted: “We’ve never had a studio movie with an all-Asian cast that was not a period piece.”

Rich in diversity

The last high-profile Hollywood film with an all-Asian cast was The Joy Luck Club released in 1993. Wu lamented that Asians don’t often get to be seen in a Hollywood film with a modern setting.

“Like, why don’t we see Asians using cellphones? It’s a way to include Asians in the current conversation by showing them in a contemporary context. We are here. Our stories matter and that to me is really groundbreaking,” she said.

Other Hollywood cast members in Crazy Rich Asians include Ken Jeong (The Hangover), Awkwafina (Ocean’s 8), Gemma Chan (Transformers: The Last Knight) and Sonoya Mizuno (La La Land).

From this region, expect to see the likes of Ronny Chieng, Pierre Png, Carmen Soo, Tan Keng Hua and Fiona Xie on screen. Hollywood newbie Golding described filming for Crazy Rich Asians as “insane” (his pun, not ours). Producer Nina Jacobson said they were looking for someone like Cary Grant to play Nicholas.

“There’s a sense of class and elegance to Nicholas. At the same time, he’s also down to earth. It was hard to find all those things.”

“Henry did amazingly well on his screen test and he had all those qualities that we were looking for,” Jacobson explained why the studio went with a newcomer.

While Golding has made Malaysia proud, his casting also stirred some controversy. There were those who noted how Golding was not “Asian enough” for the role seeing that he is part European.

Instead of dwelling on the backlash, Golding said he is proud to represent a part of South-East Asia that is mostly unknown to his Western counterparts.

“We have such a melting pot of identities in South-East Asia and that is something to be proud of. It’s really important that we make this film. We’re breaking boundaries and that is the most important takeaway,” he said.

A wedding of epic proportions is the high society event of the year in Crazy Rich Asians. Photo: Warner Bros

Value for money

Despite its very specific setting, Jacobson believes Crazy Rich Asians has stories that will resonate globally.

“We have a great universal story for anyone who has been rejected by their in-laws or people who have their foot in two different cultures,” she said.

She also identified with Rachel as someone who is fascinated by a strange yet familiar new world.

“When I first read the book, I couldn’t put it down. The expectations on Nick from his family was relatable. The story felt fresh and new. It took me to somewhere that I wanted to go,” Jacobson said.

Will Nicholas’ love for Rachel triumph over his family money?

Yeoh said you can’t live on love alone: “When you’re in love, you say you don’t need money or you don’t need anything (else). When love cools down and reality sets in, then what? Love is not bread and butter. You have to be sensible.”

Yeoh saw Crazy Rich Asians as more than just a story about unimaginable wealth.

“It’s also about the responsibilities of a family. Many people depend on them (Nicholas’ family) for their livelihood. It’s not just about them getting rich, it’s also about the community.

“It’s good to have money but it’s what you do with it that really counts,” she concluded.

And that token of wisdom is priceless.

The trials, tribulations and triumphs captured on 16,300 minutes of footage filmed throughout the 55-day journey of rock star Athiwara “Toon Bodyslam” Khongmalai as he ran from Betong, Yala in Thailand’s deep south to northernmost district of Mae Sai, Chiang Rai, are being told in the new documentary “2215 Chuea Baa Kla Kao” coming out on September 6.

The “2215” in the title, which translates as “2215, Belief, Crazy, Brave and Take a Step”, refers to the 2,215-kilometre journey that Toon undertook at the end of last year – slightly more than his planned run of 2,191km.

That increase was down to his stops in different place along the way, as he went to local schools, visited the elderly waiting to donate money for the project and to government offices. In the end, Toon’s overwhelmingly successful crosscountry run raised more than Bt1.2 billion for 11 public hospitals across the country.

And in a nice twist, duty free giant King Power is expressing its thanks to the rocker by covering the admission price of 720,000 tickets so that Thais can watch the documentary for free between September 6 and 16. It is estimated that this will cost King Power some Bt144 million over and above its already generous donation of Bt100 million during the charity run.

“This is how I wanted to pay back the people who supported me during the run. They gave that support for free and now it’s time for me to give back,” says Toon.

Many Thais, of course, watched the live broadcast of the 55-day run and director Nottapon Boonprakob is quick to explain that the documentary contains plenty of behind-the-scenes footage that adds to the power of the story.

“The live broadcast really only shows Toon and his followers running. Through this film, we want to portray what drove him to undertake the mission, how he was able to succeed and what pushed him to complete it despite the many obstacles and injuries,” says the director.

With so much footage to choose from, Nottapon has carefully selected the scenes that tell the real story of the marathon journey.

“I don’t want to over praise him as a hero but portray him as an ordinary man with a passion to do something for others and an individual who can be weak and feel pain like anybody else. The documentary shows the unseen parts of the journey and gives us a better understanding of this man,” says the director.

Nottapon adds that this is not a conventional documentary with interviews and flashbacks. Yes, it does contain a few interviews but mainly relies on events and situations to reveal Toon Bodyslam.

The idea for the documentary was initiated by Toon himself, when he approached GDH a while back to ask whether they could do anything with the footage of an earlier run from Bangkok to Bang Saphan in Prachuap Khiri Khan. He later amended his request, telling the studio he would be running from Betong to Mae Sai.

Producer Wanruedee Pongsittisak thought it was a crazy idea but was nonetheless happy to support the project.

“I joined Toon’s first charity run  Bangkok to Bang Saphan – and was overwhelmed by the positive energy along the route, so of course I was happy to support him,” Wanruedee says.

GDH handed the project to Nottapon, who had previously worked with its former incarnation of GTH as a scriptwriter for the movies directed by his elder brother Chayanop, namely “Suckseed” and “May Who?” He has also directed TV commercials and music videos and took the Social Documentary Film course at the School of Visual Arts in New York City.

After a recent screening of the documentary, Toon remained silent. The nervous production team put his quietness down to the fact that he probably didn’t like the film.

“It is not that I don’t like it,” he said later. “The point is I have my own picture and the movie collects valuable information along the run, by not focusing on me. But after they explained why they opted to present this way, I don’t have anything against it.

“The story should create a force or inspire people to do something that benefits them personally or the wider society such as starting jogging or taking care of their health. That was my intention and I hope the documentary will achieve that aim,” says Toon.

The director opted to keep the crew small, selected four people to man the two cameras and two more for editing.

The two camera teams followed the run from the beginning, shooting on two motorcycles or from the top of a car and capturing interesting moments along the way including the cheering crowds along the road. They also followed Toon in the car he used to rest. At the end of each day, the two editors would go through the footage and write the daily record.

“Shooting this movie was tough and exhausting work as we had to carry the camera all day long. The camera broke and we had an accident but how could we complain when we saw him running even though he was tired?” says the director.

The trailer shows Toon crying out in pain when the doctor treats him for an injury – and there were several during the run – and as he relaxes in the private area, scenes that were not included in the live broadcast.

Like many people who witnessed the run, the director admits there were many times when he was sure Toon couldn’t possibly finish his mission.

“His fitness preparation wasn’t really designed for a crosscountry run because he continued to work hard, didn’t get enough rest and didn’t even manage his diet, all of which are essentials to prepare the body for a tough mission,” he says.

“To me, the film is a good opportunity to show Thai audiences what a documentary really is. Most think it’s like a TV documentary showing wildlife or nature,” he says.

“I’ve been in the entertainment industry for 17 years and I’ve never had a chance to be in a movie like this. I received many approaches to star in films but have always turned them down because I’m not good at acting. However it’s inevitable that I have to be ‘Phra Ake’ in this documentary so I hope that I will be ‘Phra Ake 1000 Laan’,” says Toon, referring to the name given to the male protagonist in a movie that earns Bt1 billion, like Mario Maurer in the top grossing film of all time, “Pee Mak Phra Khanong”.

The Bt1 billion will not line his pockets but is the money he wants to donate to Siriraj Hosptial for the completion of the 84th Anniversary Navamindrabopitr Building.

The building construction is almost complete but the hospital needs another Bt1 billion to purchase medical equipment. The 84th Anniversary Navamindrabopitr Building is the last name granted by the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and it will be used to care for underprivileged patients. Screenings on the road

n “2215 Chuea Baa Kla Kao” comes out on September 6. Free screenings will be available from September 6-16 nationwide at Major Cineplex and SF Cinema and limited to one show a day during weekdays and two screenings a day on weekend.

Screenings on the Road

– Toon will also take the movie on a road show nationwide from September to February and hold activities like short charity runs along with screenings.

– Donations can be made through different channels: at the donation box, using the QR code via mobile banking, by SMS or through SCB Bank account 0163045567. For more information, visit Facebook.com/kaokonlakao/.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” draws on the origin and adventures of the popular ’90s TV series “Sabrina the Teenage Witch” in a dark coming-of-age story that traffics in horror, the occult and, of course, witchcraft.

Tonally in the vein of “Rosemary’s Baby” and “The Exorcist”, this adaptation finds Sabrina wrestling to reconcile her dual nature — half-witch, half-mortal — while standing against the evil forces that threaten her, her family and the daylight world humans inhabit.

“Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” is based on the comic book series of the same name and was largely filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

“Riverdale” showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who also serves as chief creative officer of Archie Comics, penned the script. Other cast members include Kiernan Shipka, Miranda Otto, Lucy Davis, Ross Lynch and Michelle Gomez.

Two seasons are currently planned.

“Crazy Rich Asians,” a two-hour celebration of fabulous wealth, stunning clothes and idealized love, complete with heroine who has to out-fox her beau’s imperious mother and vicious ex-girlfriend, is a faithful adaptation of the international bestseller by Singapore-American author Kevin Kwan.

More importantly it’s the first Hollywood movie in a quarter of a century to feature an majority-Asian cast — a feat not matched since “The Joy Luck Club” in 1993 and one driving frenzied publicity in the world of US entertainment.

It comes a year after “The Big Sick” made Kumail Nanjiani Hollywood’s first Pakistani-born rom-com hero and months after “Black Panther” became the third highest-grossing motion picture of all time in North America.

Kwan turned down a “gigantic” pay-offer from Netflix, to plop for Warner Bros. Pictures and a cinematic general release, looking to send a message and put down a marker for Asian-led box office receipts.

A massive publicity blitz appears to be working. The Hollywood Reporter expects the movie to make at least $28 million at the box office over the first five days in North America, up from $20 million several weeks ago.

Director Jon Chu wants the movie to convince Hollywood bosses that there’s plenty of money to be made from Asian-led projects, opening the door to greater representation.

“That we are worth that time, we are worth that energy and worth that effort,” he told Fox News.

“The cinematic experience is unparalleled in that kind of context, of putting it in the museum, in the glass box and say this is special.”

Filmed on location in Malaysia and Singapore, with a reported budget of $30 million, its cast is almost entirely Asian, Asian-American and Asian diaspora.

As a result, it’s American actress Constance Wu who gets to wear the posh frocks and British-Malaysian, former BBC host and hair stylist Henry Golding who gets to be the Cary Grant of summer 2018.

‘World your oyster’

“You don’t see that growing up. You don’t feel like you can be the hero of your own story. I think every child should feel worthy and feel loved,” a tearful Wu told NBC News.

“I want to get to a stage where it’s not headline news that this is the first movie in 25 years,” agrees Golding. “Let’s just tell stories, that’s what Hollywood was created for,” he told NBC.

Reviews are mostly positive, provided you suspend disbelief that a savvy New York Millennial would never once google the guy she’s been dating for a year.

So we see Chinese-American economics professor Rachel Chu fly to Singapore for Spring Break with her lecturer boyfriend Nick Young, seemingly clueless that he’s “the Prince William of Asia.”

Nick has marriage on the mind, whisking her off to his friend’s wedding and to meet his folks, only for Rachel to find out his family are “richer than God.”

Thrown into the mix are dazzling jewels, private jets, bitchy rich girls, class conflict and cut-class English accents, sneering not just at a girl from Queens, but an American period.

Prospective mother-in-law Eleanor, played by Michelle Yeoh, provides all the hauteur, while comedy comes from US actress and rapper Awkwafina, who plays Rachel’s nouveau-riche but well-meaning friend Peik Lin.

A survey of popular movies from 2007-16 by the University of Southern California found that only 5.7 percent of characters were Asian, and that only three percent of directors were Asian or Asian American.

Nevertheless Asian Americans accounted for the second highest per-capita attendance at the movies in 2017 after Latinos, according to the Motion Picture Association of America. Asians represent six percent of the US population and accounted for eight percent of frequent moviegoers, it said.

“The importance of seeing Asian faces up there is not lost on me,” Chu told NBC. “How it would feel if I was a kid to see that, to know you can be a handsome young man and all the world is your oyster.”

BNK48 – one of the international sister groups of Japan’s idol girl group AKB48 formed on the concept of “idols you can meet” – can finally be said to have reached the peak of popularity after a successful first year in Thailand’s music industry.

Today sees the general release of “Girls Don’t Cry”, a documentary by Nawapol “Ter” Thamrongrattanarit that tells the in-depth stories of the girl group and was well received by those fortunate enough to attend yesterday’s premiere at Paragon Cineplex.

In fact, two of the girls have already embarked on acting careers, with Patchanan “Orn” Jiajirachote playing a spy in director Yanyong “Suea” Kuruaungkoul’s romantic comedy “App War” and BNK48’s captain Cherprang Areekul cast in the lead role in an upcoming and as yet untitled teen thriller from Parkpoom Wongpoom alongside “Hormones” alumnus Teeradon “James” Supapunpinyo.

“T Moment has long wanted to make a movie for and about today’s teenagers, some of whom are already involved in startups. So we looked for rookies with acting talent to represent the new generation,” “App War” director Suea Yanyong told The Nation at the August 1 premiere of the movie.

“App War” tells the story of two startup teams, “Inviter” featuring Nat Kitcharit, Sirat Intarachote, Apiwit “Rung” Reardon and “Amjoin” featuring Warisara “Jingjing” Yu, Tanaphop “Third” Yoovichit, Ticha Wongthipkarn, and Orn BNK48, who compete against each other to win venture capital from an investor.

“I think the movie will inspire young people to follow their dreams,” added Orn BNK48, who plays the intern Nong Mild.

Making a documentary about teens was fairly plain sailing for Nawapol, whose past credits include “Mary Is Happy, Mary Is Happy”, “The Master” and “Heart Attack”, but he admits the schedule was tight and he wasn’t initially prepared for the depth of detail he would be covering in telling the stories of each of the 26 girls.

“I haven’t followed the idol group since the beginning,” says Nawapol in an interview with The Nation. “I’m not ‘otaku’,” he adds, using the Japanese term for people with obsessive interests, particularly in relation to anime and manga.

“But I was interested in how the idol group would adjust to Thai culture, as it is a very Japanese concept. However, it is a good phenomenon and an alternative to this country’s music scene.

“When we started, I wasn’t sure how I would approach the subject though I knew I wanted to bring aspects that fans have never seen or heard from their TV appearances and interviews. A point of interest is that BNK48 has been going for a year now and the girls are more mature than they were at the beginning. The documentary is like a flashback to the idol group’s thoughts, attitudes and moods,” he explains.

“Even if you are not a BNK48 fan, you can watch the movie, because it isn’t really about the idol group but about teens. It is more interesting than a usual documentary, because it is full of their attitudes and moods as they face unexpected situations and learn about fame and competition. Those are big lessons for girls so young.”

“Girls Don’t Cry” is different from the director’s previous coming-of-age movies, because it touches less on dreams and endeavours and more on learning and growing together as a popular idol group. Each girl has her own story, some happy and others surprisingly unhappy.

“It’s not just about a year that has seen them go from unknowns to success. These girls are different from high school students in that they have experienced more over the past 12 months as members of BNK48. Some of them rarely have the chance to speak for themselves and this documentary offers them that opportunity. These are the ones who are considered ‘undergirls’ and are therefore neglected by the media.

“I want it to be their own movie. I worked hard to gain the trust of each of the girls otherwise they would never have divulged their private stories. In fact, I was surprised at how complicated their stories were, even though I have produced many coming-of-age movies. It was like politics were ruining the friendship. Being in an idol group means you can’t avoid competition. BNK48 is also different from other music contests, which end up with a single winner. Additionally, as an idol group, they are together all the time. It’s a strange situation. Although they are girls, they aren’t as weak as everyone thinks,” Nawapol explains.

The 34-year-old director spent five months following BNK48 and shooting the film, which spans the period from their official launch in the middle of last year and their first single “Yak Cha Dai Phop Thoe – Aitakatta” through their hugely successful followup, “Khukki Siangthai – Koisuru Fortune Cookie” to today. In 2018, the idol group released “Wan Raek – Shonichi” and their fourth single “Kimi wa Melody” is coming soon.

The girls have been much in demand for commercials too, becoming presenters for True Move H, Fuji Film, AP Honda, Jele Beautie, Yayoi and Samsung among others, as well as being portrayed as major supporters of Thailand’s National Football Team aka Changsuek.

“This documentary is a kind of character study – an unprecedented big-screen closeup of the idol group. I think that everyone knows the story behind BNK48 so I go deeper, looking at their feelings about being or not being senbatsu (the selected ones) and the pressure they are under. I think all members knew what they wanted to say and what they didn’t want to reveal,” Nawapol continues.

While the movie title “Girls Don’t Cry” might bring to mind American director Kimberly Peirce’s “Boys Don’t Cry” based on the real-life story of Brandon Teena, an American transgender, Nawapol says the other film never even crossed his mind.

“The name came to mind during the girls’ interviews. I saw some of them weeping and I was very close to their feelings. Although others didn’t cry, I could see something inside. I think that tears are beautiful and interesting. The name symbolises both strength and weakness,” says Nawapol.

“‘Girls Don’t Cry’ is a movie that I think reflects the thoughts and feelings of a great many teenage girls.”

Bounce is a tailor made art campaign based on the idea of enlarging an ordinary bouncy ball and combining it with Snarkitecture’s signature pure and white design. It can be seen at Harbour City’s outdoor location from now until September 2. Another installation featuring a massive invasion of balls is also being held at the Gallery by the Harbour.

By transforming the familiar into the extraordinary, Snarkitecture makes architecture perform the unexpected. They have done an innovative signature installation titled “The Beach” in the National Building Museum in Washington DC and also shown in Paris, Bangkok and Sydney.

“Bounce” is an immersive and interactive installation that builds a large “stadium” along the Hong Kong waterfront. To investigate the boundaries between art and architecture, this time they are using the concept of a ball to create a surreal interactive playground. Visitors are invited to roll, lift and toss hundreds of enlarged one-metre-diameter white “bouncy balls” in the outdoor stadium. The stadium is also an iconic cage structure defined by a series of white steel frames. The nature of the public art installation encourages visitors to create their own unique playing experiences. Kids and adults alike will enjoy their moments in this remarkable stadium.

“Bounce” interactive installation is open from 11am to 7.30pm at the Ocean Terminal Forecourt, Harbour City. Each session runs for 20 minutes and admission is free of charge.

Meanwhile, an invasion of white and silver large spheres fills Gallery by the Harbour. Visitors can enter the world of bouncy balls and take photos of the special design and installation. The gallery is also selling the limited-edition merchandise of the exhibition, which includes the “BounceE” tee, pin and bouncy balls. The exhibition continues through September 2 and is open daily from 11am to 10pm

For more information, visit Facebook.com/Harbour City.