Issue 10: 18 Aug 2014

Horizon Thailand talks to the director of Thai film sensation Pee Mak Phra Khanong about the future of the Thai movie industry.

Banjong Pisanthanakun, the director of Pee Mak Phra Khanong.

“Our principle is to make very good content and quality of work,” says Banjong Pisanthanakun of Grammy, Thai Entertainment and Hub Ho Hin (GTH) as he explains the core idea behind his internationally successful movie, Pee Mak Phra Khanong, based on a famous Thai ghost story.

Now the most successful Thai horror-comedy film in history, Pee Mak Phra Khanong has grossed more than US$33 million. And the film has not just been a commercial success, drawing attention from publications such as the special edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine circulated at the Cannes Film Festival 2013. “We believe in what we like and believe that audience will like it too,” adds Pisanthanakun.

With a long-rooted, deep passion for films, Pisanthanakun always dreamt of becoming a movie director. He pursued his goal gradually by studying film at university while monitoring Thai movie trends. “I think that movies are miracles as they play with our emotions, at one moment making us laugh and then crying just a few seconds later,” he says.

This inspired him to do what he always wanted to do – make movies. Initially he started as an assistant director before moving on to co-direct films, including Shutter which was a big hit in Asian film festivals, including Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong and Taiwan. The movie attracted a large fan base in these countries and demonstrated the bright future for Thai popular culture in the movie industry, and its potential to penetrate foreign markets. Some of Pisanthanakun’s other films are Fad (The Twins), 4 Praeng (Phobia 1), 5 Praeng (Phobia 2), Kuan Muen Ho (Hello Stranger).

Movie Seen of Pee Mak Phra Khanong

Based on his more than ten years’ experience in the industry, Pisanthanakun claims that making Thai movies involves a greater degree of risk than in other countries. “People still hesitate when deciding to purchase a ticket for a Thai movie, and that is why we have been building GTH to be a strong brand that guarantees what we produce is worth paying for,” he says. The main challenge is to cut all the disparate elements of a film into a single entity. “You need to know how to balance and focus between quality of content and aesthetic of the art,” he says.

Largely due to GTH’s reputation for producing high quality movies, Pisanthanakun is planning to establish a transnational movie production project with China. In so doing he is sticking true to his aesthetic principles promising that the emphasis will be on creating innovative films. “The marketing strategy will then come later on,” he says.

However, sticking with the here and now. GTH’s next movie will be The Swimmers, due for release in August.

For further information, please visit:  www.gth.co.th

Words by Natthineethiti Phinyapincha