Despite the mad rush to finish work and get things done amidst a couple of months full of holidays, celebrations and fun things to do, there's a lot to like about this time of year. Along with the cooler weather, the music festivals, parties, family get-togethers and end-of-year shopping sales, the cool season in Thailand always sees some great film festivals in Bangkok.
I've always loved going to see movies at the cinema, but I'm not so much a fan of current mainstream Hollywood films, so I rarely go out to see movies these days. So for people like me, the film festivals offer a great opportunity to see some interesting movies from around the world that might not otherwise be shown at local cinemas.
As this issue goes to print, the 13th World Film Festival of Bangkok will have just finished, with SF World Cinema showing a bunch of interesting films from places like Bangladesh, Indonesia, Peru, Malaysia, Portugal and even Thailand (the independent film Vanishing Point directed by Jakrawal Nilthamrong). A couple of older classics were also featured at the festival, including Contempt, a 1963 film starring Brigitte Bardot and directed by legendary French New Wave filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard.
Our Student Weekly Pick this week is another interesting film festival with the theme of Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, an important topic that needs to be addressed now more than ever. This festival runs from November 26 to 29 at SF World Cinema, and all screenings are free. One of the films showing is the renowned Singaporean film, Ilo Ilo, which, with its story dealing with problems faced by domestic workers, should resonate with many Thai viewers.
Apart from these high-profile film festivals, interesting movies are regularly being screened around town, often for free, at places like the Goethe Institut on Sathon and the Japan Foundation Thailand near Asoke.
There's a whole world of great cinema out there beyond the Hollywood blockbusters and local romantic comedy horror hits, and a lot of it is well worth checking out if you're a fan of films.
Ben Edwards
Editor
[email protected]
