All stories can be global stories, especially when they screen on a global platform like Netflix. And now two original Thai productions will be making a splash in the world, one directed by Sophon Sakaphisit, the other by Wisit Sasanatieng and Sittisiri Mongkolsiri

The projects were announced last week along with 15 other new Asian original productions at Netflix’s first-ever content showcase in the region – “See What’s Next: Asia” held in Singapore.

Unveiled by Netflix chief executive and founder Reed Hastings and chief content officer Ted Sarandos, as well as performers and creators from Netflix series and films, the new productions are from Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India and South Korea.

The first Thai series is titled “Khweng” (“The Stranded”). Directed by Sophon who works with GDH Film Studios, it tells the story of Kraam, an 18-year-old boy who survives a devastating tsunami along with 36 of his fellow students attending an elite private high school on a remote island in the Andaman Sea. As mysterious events start happening on the island, it quickly becomes clear that no one is coming to rescue them and Kraam must lead the others in a fight for survival. Sophon, whose previous films include “Phuan Thee Raluek” (“The Promise”) and “Laddaland”, will work with Netflix under GMM Grammy & H2L Media Group. The executive producers are Ekachai Uekrongtham, Gary Levinsohn, Steven Sims, Billy Hines and Christian Durso.

The second Netflix original content from Thailand is “Oubatikaan” (“Shimmers”). Directed by Wisit and Sittisiri, it’s a drama series focusing on five teenagers at an isolated school in Northern Thailand. Over a school break, they find themselves haunted by the ghosts of their pasts, only to discover they are threatened by a much more terrifying mystery. Both are established filmmakers working with Transformation Films Studio, with Wisit’s new horror offering “Singsoo” (“Reside:) slated for release on December 5. Sittisiri, whose previous film was “Last Summer”, is finalising his latest horror project “Sang Krasue” written by Chookiat Sakveerakul.

Netflix is the world’s leading internet entertainment service with 130 million paid memberships in 190 countries and in 20 different languages. It brought its service to Asia in 2016 and has been investing in Asian content ever since. The fare has continued to gain in popularity, especially animations from Japan, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Indonesian content, particularly in the action genre, is also popular but for horror, Netflix has turned to Thailand. These two projects join 100 new and returning originals across eight countries in Asia through 2019 as Netflix increases its investment in Asian storytellers, amplifying their voices to the world.

The announcements build on the momentum created by some of Netflix’s first forays into Asian storytelling this year with titles like the crime thriller “Sacred Games” (India), anime series “DEVILMAN crybaby” (Japan) and variety comedy “Busted!” (Korea), which is being renewed for a second season and will see Lee Seung-gi from “A Korean Odyssey joining the cast. Another series that has done remarkably well is the anime series “Trese” based on the Philippine graphic novel by the same name, created by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo.

“These series and films are finding new fans everywhere. We are liberating access to entertainment and have removed the barriers of fixed television schedules and to language. Our different business models unlock content from anywhere in the world for the rest of the world and we’re constantly opening opportunities for creators in Asia,” Sarandos told The Nation.

“Asia is home to the world’s greatest creative centres producing some of the most compelling films and series of today that easily connect with viewers all over Asia and the world,” he continues, adding that more than half of Asian content hours viewed on Netflix this year were watched outside the region.

Erika North, director of Original content APAC announces the first Thailand original series on Netflix “Khweng” (“The Stranded”) by Sophon Sakdaphisit./Netflix photo

“Southeast Asia is a very diverse market and it’s early days for Netflix here in Southeast Asia. Our focus is working with the great depth of talent in this region. It’s a hotbed for filmmaking and TV talent and there’s a great genre tradition in this part of the world – horror from Thailand, action from Indonesia, crime thrillers from Hong Kong and Taiwan –so really what we’re looking for are stories that haven’t yet been told in the long-form format,” says Erika North, director of Original content APAC.

“I believe viewers want a highly curated selection of great content so what we’re looking for are both the best-in-class shows and stories that couldn’t be told in the traditional system,” adds Kim Min-young, Director of International Originals at Netflix.

The titles announced last week will join a rich library of Asian, Hollywood and international content on Netflix that’s matched to members’ personal tastes – in whichever language they prefer and devices they’re watching on, all without commercials or commitments.

“See What’s Next: Asia” also presented the fourth season of the hit series “Nacros” with a new chapter dubbed “Narcos: Mexico”. It will available on Netflix from Friday. Another highlight comes from actor-filmmaker Andy Serkis – the drama “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle”. Serkis says that his Mowgli version tries to be true to the original story written by Rudyard Kipling and is darker than the other adventure versions that have been made. The film will have an exclusive limited theatrical engagement beginning November 29 and launch globally on Netflix on December 7.

A scene from the zombie series set in the Chosun era, “Kingdom”./Netflix photo

Another highlight is South Korea’s first original Netflix series “Kingdom”, which brings together cast and crew from screenwriter Kim Eun Hee’s TV drama “Signal” and is directed by Kim Seong-hun of “Tunnel” fame. The film stars Bae Doo-na, Ju Ji-hoon and Ryu Seung-ryong in a period thriller horror set in the Chosun dynasty where the Crown Prince (Ju) is sent on a suicide mission to investigate an outbreak caused by a zombie virus thought to have killed the king.

Fans of Korean zombie flicks have to wait until January 25 to watch “Kingdom”, which is presented in six episodes and will stream globally. Even though the series has yet to be released, chief executive Hastings underlined his conviction it would be a success by announce the season two renewal.

Hastings also told participants that the variety of content on Netflix from movie to documentary, big or small shows, is going to expand, the result, he said, of internet development helping the streaming service prosperity.

“This is what the Internet allows, first it’s on demand, second it’s personalization and third it’s bringing the world together through the sharing of content,” he says.

Animation fans were thrilled to hear that “Pacific Rim” would be returning and continue its focus on the epic battle between Kaiju and Jaegers. The series follows two siblings – an idealistic teenage boy and his naive younger sister – who are forced to pilot an abandoned Jaeger across a hostile landscape in a desperate attempt to find their missing parents.

The original Netflix series “Altered Carbon”, which launched earlier this year, will transform into an anime production, set in the same universe of the Netflix live-action sci-fi series. The animation will explore new elements of the mythology.

Another new Asia original Netflix production us the Taiwanese original series “Triad Princess”. Growing up in the shadow of her Triad father, Angie craves an independent life of her own. Defying her father’s wishes, she takes on a gig as an undercover bodyguard for a famous actress at an agency, where she must navigate the unfamiliar world of glitz, glamour and even love.

  Continuing the story begun in David Milch’s critically acclaimed, Emmy winning HBO series, the feature-length presentation is written by Milch, directed by Daniel Minahan and features original cast members from the series.

In the “Deadwood” film, the indelible characters of the series are reunited after 10 years to celebrate South Dakota’s statehood. Former rivalries are reignited, alliances are tested and old wounds are reopened, as all are left to navigate the inevitable changes that modernity and time have wrought.

Returning cast members for the “Deadwood” movie include Ian McShane (Al Swearengen), Timothy Olyphant (Seth Bullock), Molly Parker (Alma Ellsworth) and Paula Malcomson (Trixie). The film will also feature new cast member Jade Pettyjohn (Caroline).

During its threeseason, 36episode run on HBO from 2004 to 2006, the “Deadwood” series was nominated for 28 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning eight, including Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for Water Hill and also received a Golden Globe Award for Best Performer by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama for Ian McShane.

The “Deadwood” film is executive produced by David Milch, Carolyn Strauss, Daniel Minahan, Gregg Fienberg, Scott Stephens, Ian McShane and Timothy Olyphant.

The project also earned a cash prize of US$15,000.

Another project from Singapore “Ah Girl” by director Ang Geck Geck and producer Fran Borgia picked up the Open SEA Fund Award, which gives one Seafic project credit towards equipment rental from VS Service worth $10,000 and post-production services provided by White Light Post worth $15,000.

“Raising a Beast” from Laos and its co-producer Steve Arounsack were

 recognised with the Seafic -TFL Award, for which Matthieu Darras, artistic director of TorinoFilmLab, chooses one producer from Seafic to attend this year’s TorinoFilmLab Meeting Event (November 23-24), with flight and accommodation covered.

The prizes come after eight months of intense script and project development for the five selected projects under the guidance of international experts.

In addition to the existing partnership with Produire au Sud and TorinoFilmLab, this year Seafic also announces a new partnership with Link of Cine-Asia, organised by the Busan Film Commission and Asian Film Commissions Network. Held in parallel with last month’s Busan International Film Festival, Link of Cine-Asia sponsored the five Seafic producers from this year to travel to Busan and pitch at their forum.

The five projects selected for Seafic’s second lab year concludes the curriculum at the Seafic Open House three-day event held earlier this month at Alliance Francaise Bangkok and Goethe-Institut. Aside from the winners, the other two projects are Thailand’s “Arnold is a Model Student” by director Sorayos Prapapan and Indonesia’s “Crocodile Tears” by Tumpal Tampubolon.

Sorayos’s project received the Hubert Bals Script Development Fund and previously attended Ties That Bind, Produire au Sud and Tokyo Talents labs. His short “Death of A Sound Man” premiered at the Venice Orizzonti competition.

These awards were unveiled after a live final pitching session by the Seafic filmmakers in front of a distinguished international jury that included Killer Films’ Christine Vachon, the producer of “Carol”, and the director of the Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum (HAF) Jacob Wong.

After nine days of screening films from around the world, the 31st edition of Tokyo International Film Festival wrapped on Saturday with the presentation of the Tokyo Grand Prix to French film “Amanda” by Mikhael Hers, a film that also proved popular at the Venice Film Festival.

Danish film “Before the Frost” by Michael Noer, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year won the Special Jury Prize, while Italian film “The Vice of Hope” by Edoardo De Angelis, which was also screened at Toronto, went home with the Best Director award.

Actor Ralph Fiennes was recognised with the Best Artistic Contribution Award for his third effort as a director on “The White Crow”.

Although all the awards in the main competition section went to non-Asian films, screenings from this part of the world had a strong presence at the festival. Chinese female filmmaker Lina Wang’s “A First Farewell”, which received good reviews from critics, won the Best Asian Future Film Award, and “Wushu Orphan” by young Chinese director Huang Huang picked up The Spirit of Asia Award from the Japan Foundation Asia Centre.

No Thai titles made it into the competition but audiences did get to see three Thai films. Among them was the anthology “Ten Years Thailand” by Aditya Assarat, Wisit Sasanatieng, Chulayarnnon Siriphol and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It screened in the World Focus section and received good feedback from the audience.

“Ten Years Thailand”

“The four directors of ‘Ten Years Thailand’ are very important in the industry and we were very excited to see them direct this omnibus. I remember seeing the world premiere of the film at the Cannes Film Festival and being impressed by the different touch each director brought to his episode, which made it very stimulating. What I found interesting is that “Ten Years Thailand” talks about politics, which is different from “Ten Years Japan”. It would be interesting to show the two films together here, but unfortunately, we didn’t have a spare slot to do so,” Yoshi Yatabe, the programming director of Tokyo International Film Festival, told The Nation.

None of the directors was free to attend the festival, so it fell to producer Cattleya Paosrijaroen to Tokyo to meet the audience and answer their questions. She indicated that “Ten Years Thailand” was expected to hit cinemas at home next month.

The Crosscut Asia programme, a special segment focusing on Southeast Asian cinema and put together by the Tokyo International Film Festival and the Japan Foundation Asia Centre, had at its theme “Soundtrip to Southeast Asia”. The programme, as the title suggests, presented films about music from many countries in Southeast Asia including two from Thailand – Vithaya Thongyuyong’s “Brother of the Year” and Nawapol Thamrongrattnarit’s documentary “BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry”.

“Brother of the Year” 

“Both of the films in Crosscut Asia have strong subject matter that involves music and are attractive to viewers, hence our decision to select them,” said Kenji Ishizaka, Programming Director for Asian Future section and Crosscut Asia.

“In ‘BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry’, Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit tells the story of an idol group, which is a shoot-off of a Japanese idol group, so we knew the Japanese audience would be interested in the film. ‘Brother of the Year’ has elements of Japanese culture, and also stars the K-pop idol Nichkun, so I was sure young people in Japan would enjoy this film,” Ishizaka added.

Vithaya, who came to Tokyo along with Sunny Suwanmethanont, who stars in the film, got straight to the point following the screening of “Brother of the Year”.

“Do any of you have a brother or sister?” he asked the audience. “I don’t think there are many films that tell stories about a brother and sister relationship. These relationships are special, as we can’t choose our siblings,” Vithaya told an enthusiastic audience.

Asked why he had written Jane – the sister who has to put up with her brother’s inefficiency, as someone who had studied in Japan, loves Japanese culture, marries a half Thai-half Japanese man working for a Japanese company, and eventually moves to Japan, Vithaya said his character had been influenced by her brother who loves Japanese manga, just like many young people in Thailand.

Nawapol Thamrongrattanarit attended the Q&A session of “BNK48: Girls Don’t Cry”, along with producer Pacharin Surawatanapongs.

“The girls are a lot younger than me, but that doesn’t mean that they know less than me. The experience they have gained from being a member of BNK48 was very new to me. I wanted the film to record Thai teenagers today,” Nawapol told his audience.

“The BNK48 Office assigned Nawapol to direct this documentary but they were happy to allow us to film the way we wanted. Their aim was to show how the girls had evolved over their first year as members, so we proposed getting close to the girls and learning their back stories.

“We made it clear we could only do the documentary if we agreed on what we were going to film. Luckily the BNK 48 Office was really open and allowed us to talk with any members in the way we want,” added producer Pacharin Surawatanapongs.

A large crowd turned out for the screening, among them Thais living in Japan, though apparently no one involved with AKB48, the “big sister” of the idol group franchise came to the show. “I heard that the BNK Office showed my film to the people behind AKB48, but they didn’t send me any comments,” Nawapol said. “I expected to see them at the screening but I am not sure if anyone came.”

Also presented in Tokyo was the special omnibus film “Asian Three-Fold Mirror 2018: Journey”, produced by the festival and the Japan Foundation Asia Centre and directed by Edwin (who goes by one name) from Indonesia, Degena Yun from China and Daishi Matsunaga from Japan.

Each director was asked to make a short film on the theme “journey”, with Edwin filming in Japan, and Matsunaga in Myanmar.

The film goes on general release this month in Japan and is expected to be screened in other parts of Asia at a later date.

Chow co-founded the Golden Harvest studio in 1971 and was seen as largely responsible for bringing the city’s films to an international audience.

He produced more than 170 films over his career, according to industry website IMDB, and nurtured the careers of several action stars, including Jackie Chan.

Chow first worked with Lee on “The Big Boss” — released as “Fists of Fury” in the United States — in 1971, making the actor a martial arts legend overnight. The film broke box office records both in Hong Kong and overseas.

He went on to produce or co-produce two of Lee’s best known films: “Way of the Dragon” in 1972, followed a year later by “Enter the Dragon”, the first cinema collaboration between a Hong Kong studio and Hollywood.

He repeated the success with Chan, first working together on “The Young Master” in 1980.

Born in 1927 in Hong Kong, Chow studied journalism in Shanghai and briefly worked as a reporter before going into the film industry.

He joined the Shaw Brothers studio in 1958, working his way up to chief executive before leaving in 1970 to set up his own firm.

He was recognised with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Asia Film Awards in 2011.

Fellow filmmakers and industry figures paid tribute to a man they said played a crucial role in the emergence of Hong Kong cinema.

A message on the Twitter account managed by Lee’s daughter recognised Chow’s role in the late legend’s rise to stardom.

“Thank you Raymond for taking a chance on a young Bruce Lee and helping him to realise his dream. Rest in peace, Raymond,” it said.

Sin Kwok-lam, producer of the Ip Man kung fu series, described Chow as his idol.

“He discovered Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, who until then were unheard of,” Sin told the South China Morning Post. “Chow is an indelible hero in the history of action movies.”

Director, writer and actor Cheung Tung-cho said Chow’s death was a huge loss for Hong Kong cinema.

“He was a major mover in the industry,” Cheung told the Post. “He brought Hong Kong movies to the international stage.”

One of the biggest and most prestigious film events in Asia, the 31st edition of the Tokyo International Film Festival got underway late last month with a showcase of movies from around the world.

This year’s special retrospective programme, a popular annual event held as part of the “Japan Now” section, honoured actor Koji Yakusho, screening five of his films, namely Masayuki Suo’s “Shall We Dance?” (1995), Imamura Shohei’s Palme d’Or winner “The Eel” (1997), Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s “Cure” (1997), Shuichi Okita’s “The Woodsman and the Rain” (2011) and Kazuya Shiraishi’s 2018 release “The Blood of Wolves”.

Koji Yakusho was honoured at the Tokyo International Film Festival 2018, which presented five of his works in a retrospective programme as part of the Japan Now section. The actor himself attended the festival to meet his audience.

One of the most familiar faces of the Japanese film world, Yakusho has been working in the industry for almost 40 years. Starting his professional career at the Chiyoda municipal ward office, he entered the entertainment world in the late ’70’s, and has since appeared in stage plays, television series and films.

“As a young man, I’ve never had a passion for acting”, Yakusho, 62, tells The Nation. “I happened to get a ticket to a stage performance from a person who couldn’t go. I didn’t have much interest but I went. It was a performance of Maxim Gorky’s ‘The Lower Depth’ with Tatsuya Nakadai playing the main character. It really moved me and made me want to become an actor. I wanted to move people like that.”

A scene from “Cure” (1997)

He started learning about acting from Tetsuya Nakadai, considered as one of the greatest actors of Japan. “Tatsuya ran an acting school called MemeiJuku. It was there that I learnt the basics of acting. I took those with him to the set and learnt the rest there,” he says,

His first, albeit small, film role came in 1979 with “Hunter in the Dark” but it was his portrayal of Shinji Nakano in NHK’s 1983 television series “Tokugawa Ieyasu” and as the title character in “Miyamoto Musashi” the following year that shot him to fame.

That recognition led to a role in Juzo Itami’s “Tampopo” (1985), a film that was also successful in the western world.

In “Shall We Dance”, Yakusho plays Shohei Sugiyama, a successful salaryman.

Now a major star, Yakusho had a chance to work with the greatest filmmakers of Japan and other countries, such as Masayuki Suo, whose “Shall We Dance?” became a big hit in Japan and around the world and was eventually remade by Hollywood with Richard Gere in the lead role. He also collaborated with Koreeda Hirokazu, Takashi Miike, Shinji Aoyama, Koki Mitani and Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, with whom he worked on “Babel” (2006) as well as with Rob Marshall on “Memoirs of the Geisha” (2005).

“I worked with Kiyoshi Kurosawa many times,” says Yakusho. “I did “Cure” with him. He had written the screenplay years before and we spent a long time talking about it. I was involved in the process of creating the script, and I like the finished film very much. That was memorable for me and was the first film on which I worked with a director I really admired.”

He also has fond memories of Kohei Oguri’s “Sleeping Man”, which was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 1996.

Yakusho in “The Blood of Wolves”

“It was a special moment,” he recalls. “I had only one page of dialogue, in the scene where there’s just an old woman and myself. When we read it, it took less than a minute but the director wanted me to make it three of four times longer. That was difficult. It wasn’t the dialogue that was the problem. I had to make up the entire history of the character! That was a culture shock for me. I realised that acting is something that can fill pauses and space. I learnt a lot from that.”

Yakusho rarely has a chance to watch his films with the audience and he finds it special. “It only really happens at film festivals and it’s interesting to see their applause, and see how they react, and how they enjoy the film. That’s when I am so glad to be an actor,” he says.

As a veteran who has worked with so many filmmakers, Yakusho quite naturally has his favourites. In addition to Kurosawa, he particularly loves the works of Kenji Mizoguchi and Shohei Imamura. “That was such a golden age of Japanese cinema,” he muses. “Just by watching these great masters, there’s so much that we can see.”

In “The Eel”, Yakusho plays a man who opens a barber shop and spends his free time communing with the pet eel he got while in prison.

He has mixed feelings about the film industry of today. “When I first worked in this industry, we had no chance to see ourselves when we acted on the set unless there was an 8 mm camera there. Actors these days can. They know the angle and how it will look in the take. They don’t seem to have much tension about being on camera,” Yakusho says.

“When I started, films were shot in black and white. That evolved into Technicolour and now we are in the digital age. I find it sad that the old way is dying. Young actors will never be shot on film because film is dead,” he laments.

Yakusho is also sad about the shift from the big screen to new media, which he feels reflects a decline in the film industry as a whole.

“In the past, fashion – in fact everything – was dictated by film, but now entertainment like games and TV drama is more powerful. For someone who has spent a lifetime in the film industry, this is a bit sad,” he says.

A popular country singer in the 1990s best known for his blend of Thai genres pleng choy and pleng E-saew, Nakhon Si Thammarat-born Ekkachai Srivichai turned his talent to directing back in 2016 with “Therd”, a movie inspired by the traditional Southern Thai dance drama known as manorah. Now the 56-year-old is back with a new film “Norah”, which opens today at cinemas across Thailand.

“‘Norah’ is the second episode of ‘Therd’ but much more enjoyable,” Ekkachai told reporters during a recent press conference at Wat Thai Khae in the southern province of Phatthalung.

The appointment ceremony of Khun Sri Sattha, played by Paisan Khunnu (seated, front row), as a royal performer by Phaya Sai Fah Fad (seated, back row), portrayed by Ekkachai Srivichai, is one of the key scenes in “Norah”.

“Mahorah is part of the culture and identity of Phatthalung and this movie will help all Thais to become better acquainted with the province.”

    “Therd”, which means a manorah crown in the local dialect, tells the story of a manorah performer, who wants his son to carry on the traditional form of dance but the young man is far more interested in modern music, not least because the family is facing financial problems as interest in the tradition fades. “Norah” takes a slightly different tack, focusing on the origins of the first manorah performer, Phor Khun Sattha.

Director Ekkachai Srivichai plays Phaya Sai Fah Fad.

“Many Thais believe that manorah is Kinnaree, the half-woman, half-bird who lives in the legendary Himmaphan forest where she is caught by hunter Pran Boon. But, in fact, it isn’t that at all. Manorah in Southern Thailand is Phaya Sai Fah Fad, Mae Nual Thong Samli, Mae Sri Mala, and Phor Khun Sattha, the royal offspring of the Kingdom of Sathingpura,” says Ekkachai.

The film focuses on a young couple, Singkhorn played by Paisan Khunnu and Norah portrayed by Angelina “Jade” Formonto who fall in love after crossing the two worlds of the past and the present.

Singkhorn and Norah are happy and in love.

“In ‘Therd’, I played the teenage boy forced to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a manorah performer when all he wants to do is play his guitar and sing at local pubs. He has many arguments with his father. But finally he can’t escape his destiny,” says Paisan, when he’s not filming performs with his manorah troupe.

Singkhorn and Norah in the fighting scene.

“After ‘Therd’ was released, many more young people turned to learn manorah. In the past, we were lucky to draw an audience of 20 people to our performances but today we attract many more because the new generation is interested. They have set up their own fan clubs too, much like the ones that exist for likay. That is a good sign for the future as it indicates that the culture will not be lost. With my manorah troupe, I preserve the traditional style and at the same time attract young people by bringing in a band featuring singers and comedians rather like a luk thung concert. It’s a harmony between music and culture.

“In this second episode, I play a more difficult role, portraying Phor Khun Sattha, the master of manorah to whom all performers pay respect. He was the first manorah master in the country. At first, I was extremely anxious about this role, but fortunately Ekkachai gave me plenty of advice on how to act like the distinguished master. I have confidence in my abilities as a performer. I was born into a family of manorah performers and started dancing manorah when I was five years old.

“In this second episode, Norah is a modern woman who meets Singkhorn, a young man living in the past. Love grows between the two but doesn’t go smoothly because Singkhorn has to choose between culture and love. As a manorah performer, he is obliged to remain a virgin until the age of 20,” the 26-year-old adds.

“Uncle Ek (Ekkachai) is a friend of one of my mother’s friends. My character Norah is very kind and very polite and I find her easy to play because I’m like that myself. But as it’s my first role, I also signed up for an acting workshop,” says Angelina.

Sonthaya “Son The Star” Chitmanee plays Pran Thip the hunter who has looked after Singkhorn since he was a child and helped him take his manorah performance to the next level.

“My character is a fighter and the moves were designed specifically for me,” Sonthaya says.

“It was difficult to get it right because the fighting moves are mixed with the dance style of manorah and accompanied by manorah music, the same as Paisan. I’m lucky in that like Paisan, I was raised in a manorah family. My sister is a manorah performer though without the dancers. We have seen more youngsters wanting to learn the manorah and I suspect that number will grow thanks to the film. In some ways, manorah dance is similar to yoga as it requires pure concentration.”

Sompong Jitthiang, who is better known on the luk thung scene as Luang Kai, worked with Ekkachai on “Therd” and has written the movie’s theme song, “Norah” as well as the love song “Nuea Saneha”, which Paisan covers in the film.

“For the theme song, I drew on the legend of menorah, blending the traditional singing style with a Malayu accent to reflect the ancient kingdoms of Sathingpura and Langkasuka.

“‘Nuea Saneha’ is about Phor Khun Sattha, the first manorah performer in Thailand who must make a choice between tradition and love. I would like to thank Phi Ek for passing on this traditional Southern heritage to the new generation through social media and song,” says Luang Kai.

BOX

Making the moves

Find out more at Facebook.com/NorahTheMovie