ATM attraction

Ter and Ice work on romance

By Suwitcha Chaiyong and Kittiporn Kittithanasarn
Photos by Varuth Hirunyatheb and courtesy of GTH

Any movie starring 28-year-old actor Chantavit Dhanasevi (Ter) is pretty much guaranteed to attract the public. It's no surprise, then, that local film fans got excited recently when the trailer for Ter's latest movie, ATM Errak-Error (ATM), was released.

In ATM, Ter plays Suea, a bank employee who secretly dates his boss, Jib, played by 21-year-old actress Preechaya Pongthananikorn (Ice). Their bank has a rule forbidding romantic relationships between staff members, so when Suea and Jib's secret is revealed, one of them is forced to resign. The couple decides to compete in solving a sudden ATM problem at the bank in order to decide who gets to keep their job.

Student Weekly recently met up with Ter and Ice at the GTH office to get the lowdown about their new movie.

Student Weekly: How did you both prepare for the scenes in the film where you have to be intimate with each other?

Ter: We attended workshops which included activities that allowed us to get close. We played games that involved physical fights and mind reading. It took us a long time to get close because Ice is very quiet. When we finished filming each scene together, she always wanted to be alone.

Student Weekly: Did you feel awkward filming together?

Ter: We did a bit at first. But fortunately Suea and Jib aren't a sweet couple. They're always teasing each other and fighting, so we had fun filming.

Student Weekly: Ice, did you enjoy working on your first movie?

Ice: I was tense at first. I had to take a special acting workshop because I wasn't good at expressing myself. It was a workshop where I had to express different emotions, from screaming to laughing. The class was so stressful that I broke some facial capillaries!

Student Weekly: How did you feel about acting with a famous star like Ter?

Ice: I was so excited when I found out I'd be working with Ter. He's a unique actor who likes to improvise jokes on the set. I was worried that I might not get all of his gags!

Student Weekly: What was it like to be surrounded by so many funny people on the set?

Ter: It was just like being in a comedy club. Everybody was ready to come up with gags, including the director, the co-directors, Jack Fan Chan and singer Joke So Cool. I never knew that singers like Pop Calories Blah Blah could also be so hilarious!

Student Weekly: How do you feel about rules that forbid romantic relationships among office workers?

Ice: I understand the reasons for the rule, because if one of them was a boss, they might increase their partner's salary or promote them when they don't deserve it. But I still disagree with the rule.

Ter: I disagree with it, too. Nobody should stand in the way of love. Employees often work at the same office for years, so they spend most of their time either at home or at the office. It's likely that you could fall in love with one of your colleagues eventually. It might be the only place where you get to meet people.

Student Weekly: Which scenes in the film do you like the most?

Ter: There's a scene where Seua starts thinking about when he and Jib began to date. The couple doesn't have many sweet moments together in the movie, so it was a really lovely scene.

Ice: I like the scene where Jib drives away a man who's chasing after her. I had to act really rude and say bad words. It was difficult for me!

Student Weekly: Why should viewers check out this film?

Ter: We had a great time making this movie, so I think it will make people feel good when they see it. I guarantee that whoever sees this movie will go home happy.

Ice: This movie has lots of variety. It has romance, comedy, drama and action. Thai people have had stressful lives lately and this film can help to fill their lives with laughter.