Wisit Sasanatieng
Encyclopedia
Wisit Sasanatieng is a Thai film director
and screenwriter
of Chinese
descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, Tears of the Black Tiger
, he is among a "New Wave" of Thai directors that include Nonzee Nimibutr
, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
.
, where he was a classmate of Nonzee Nimibutr
and set designer Ek Lemchuen.
He started out as an art director at the Film Factory, where he worked with Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
. Among television commercials directed by Wisit was a colorful commercial for Wrangler Jeans
that featured Black Tiger star Chartchai Ngamsuan. Wisit continues to work at Film Factory, making commercials (particularly for the MK Restaurants hot pot
chain in Thailand) in order to supplement his income in between making feature films. He also is a cartoonist and illustrator.
Wisit entered the film industry as a screenwriter for two of Nonzee's films, 1997's Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters
, set in 1950s Thailand, and the ghost thriller, Nang Nak
in 1999. Critically, and at the box office, the films were successes and marked the beginning of a "new wave" movement in the Thai film industry.
, a genre-blending western
. With a romantic melodrama at its core, the story involves outlaws, gunfights, horseback riding, comedic bits and big explosions. The film was an homage to an earlier era of Thai film - the contemplative 1950s dramas of pioneering director Rattana Pestonji
as well as the "bomb-the-mountains, burn-the-huts" action films of the 1960s that starred Mitr Chaibancha
. One of the leading men from the 1960s and 1970s Thai action-film era, Sombat Metanee
, lent his talents to Tears of the Black Tiger, portraying the outlaw leader, Fai.
Tears of the Black Tiger was the first Thai film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival
, where it was in 2001's Un Certain Regard
program. At the Vancouver International Film Festival
in 2000, it won the Dragons & Tigers Award for best new director. Other awards include best art direction at the Gijón International Film Festival
in 2001 and a jury prize at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
. It was also screened at the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
as part of a tribute to Sombat Metanee.
US
distribution rights for the film were purchased by Miramax Films
, which changed the ending and then shelved it indefinitely. In 2006, Magnolia Pictures
acquired the US rights to the original version of the film, and gave it a limited theatrical run in US theaters in 2007 before releasing it on DVD.
Wisit's next project, 2004
's Citizen Dog
, was a contemporary romantic comedy set in Bankgok that proved to be even more colourful than Tears of the Black Tiger. Based on a novel written by Koynuch (Siripan Techajindawong
), Wisit's long-time collaborative partner and wife, and narrated by compatriot filmmaker Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
, Citizen Dog tells the tale of two rural Thai people who come to Bangkok
to find work and fall in love. Critics have compared it to Jean-Pierre Jeunet
's Amelie
.
Distribution rights outside Asia were purchased by Luc Besson
's EuropaCorp
, and it played at several film festivals, including the Berlin Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival
and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
. The film screened commercially in France in 2006.
for Five Star Production
called The Unseeable
.
The Unseeable marked a change for Wisit, who was restrained by budgetary concerns from the stylizations of his first two films. Additionally, The Unseeable was the first film that he directed but did not write, with the screenplay by Kongkiat Khomsiri
, one of the "Ronin Team" credited with directing the hit Thai horror thriller, Art of the Devil 2
.
While the color palette was considerably muted, compared to Tears of the Black Tiger
and Citizen Dog
, Wisit was still able to leave his nostalgic imprint on The Unseeable by making it an homage to films of the 1930s and the stars of that era, including Bette Davis
and Joan Crawford
.
Thai pop culture influences came from illustrator Hem Vejakorn
, who wrote a series of 10-satang graphic novel
ghost stories in the 1930s and '40s. The reference was so striking that the Barom Khru Foundation, which claims to supervise Hem's works, issued a statement warning Five Star Production to not violate the copyright of Hem's work. However, Wisit said the film was not an adaptation
of any of Hem's works but was generally inspired by Hem's style., which completed shooting in August 2006 and was released on November 2, 2006.
In addition to a release in Thailand, The Unseeable also had wide theatrical releases in Malaysia and Singapore, and screened a several film festivals, including the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
, 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival
(ASEAN competition) and the Cinemanila International Film Festival
.
Also in 2006, Pen-Ek became the third recipient of the Silpathorn Award for Filmmaking
, an honor given to contemporary Thai artists by the Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture.
. Other directors participating the project included fellow Silpathorn Award
winners Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
and veteran filmmaker Bhandit Rittakol
.
Wisit contributed Norasinghavatar, which featured his trademark colorful and highly-stylized imagery, with a blend of khon masked dance
and Thai two-handed swordplay. Though the film appears to be 3D animation, it is actually live action, but completely stylized with super-saturated colors in post-production
.
Wisit was given a budget of 400,000 baht
(about US$10,000), but his project's cost ballooned to 3 million, due to the special effects and post-production costs. "It's a bad habit – I can't control the money," he said in an interview.
Also in 2007, at the American Film Market
, it was announced that Wisit's next project for Five Star Production
would be Red Eagle, a reboot of a 1960s Thai film series that starred Mitr Chaibancha
as a masked superhero crimefighter. The film series ended in tragedy when Mitr was killed in 1970 during the making of Golden Eagle
. The new film was reportedly to begin production in March 2008 and would star Ananda Everingham
in the title role.
's EuropaCorp picked up Citizen Dog
for distribution, the company also agreed to co-produce with Five Star Production
a long-gestating project by Wisit called Nam Prix, which takes its name after red chilies used in Thai cooking
. A historical fantasy about Thai pirates, the project began in 1998 as a one-page brief, but was shelved due to financial difficulties.
While Citizen Dog was told in the contemporary style of filmmaking, and Tears of the Black Tiger portrayed an old Thai film style, Wisit has said he will endeavor to go back even further with Nam Prix, capturing the tradition of Thai temple painting
and bring it to life.
"It will be an antique Thai legend, with very traditional Thai pictures like the old wall painting. But we will animate them," he was quoted as saying on ThaiCinema.org. "We will make them move. It is not an epic, but a folklore in order to tell our roots, our culture."
As of 2007, pre-production work had been completed on Nam Prix, with Five Star Production
awaiting Besson's EuropaCorp to provide its 50% of the budget needed to get filming under way.
In March 2006 another project was announced for Wisit: a Chinese-language martial arts film
called Armful, which is a revenge tale about a man who loses his arm. A gifted illustrator and comic-book artist, Wisit produced conceptual poster art for the film, which he said would be influenced by Hong Kong action cinema
of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the One-Armed Swordsman
films and Master of the Flying Guillotine
featuring Jimmy Wang Yu
as a one-armed fighter. Armful was initially announced by Singapore-based One Ton Cinema, which received a further pledge of backing from Hong Kong actor Andy Lau
's Focus Films.
Regarding Armful, Wisit issued the following statement:
However, as of 2007, the project was on indefinite hold, awaiting more funding.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
and screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
of Chinese
Thai Chinese
The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...
descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, Tears of the Black Tiger
Tears of the Black Tiger
Tears of the Black Tiger is a 2000 Thai western film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic romance between Dum, a fatalistic, working-class hero, who has become an outlaw, and Rumpoey, the upper-class daughter of a provincial governor, it is equal parts homage to and...
, he is among a "New Wave" of Thai directors that include Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, Nang Nak, he is generally credited as the leader among a "New Wave" of Thai filmmakers that also includes Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong...
, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady, which won a jury prize at the 2004...
.
Early career
Wisit studied at the Faculty of Decorative Arts at Silpakorn UniversitySilpakorn University
Silpakorn University is a well-known public university in Thailand. The university was founded in Bangkok in 1943 by Italian-born art professor Corrado Feroci, who took the Thai name Silpa Bhirasri when he became a Thai citizen. It is the leading Thai university in the fine arts and archaeology,...
, where he was a classmate of Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr
Nonzee Nimibutr is a Thai film director, film producer and screenwriter. Best known for his ghost thriller, Nang Nak, he is generally credited as the leader among a "New Wave" of Thai filmmakers that also includes Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong...
and set designer Ek Lemchuen.
He started out as an art director at the Film Factory, where he worked with Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
. Among television commercials directed by Wisit was a colorful commercial for Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler Jeans
Wrangler is a manufacturer of jeans and other clothing items. The brand is owned by the VF Corporation, who also own Lee, JanSport and The North Face, among others. Its headquarters is in downtown Greensboro, North Carolina, with production plants in a variety of locations throughout the world...
that featured Black Tiger star Chartchai Ngamsuan. Wisit continues to work at Film Factory, making commercials (particularly for the MK Restaurants hot pot
Hot pot
Hot pot , less commonly Chinese fondue or steamboat, refers to several East Asian varieties of stew, consisting of a simmering metal pot of stock at the center of the dining table. While the hot pot is kept simmering, ingredients are placed into the pot and are cooked at the table...
chain in Thailand) in order to supplement his income in between making feature films. He also is a cartoonist and illustrator.
Wisit entered the film industry as a screenwriter for two of Nonzee's films, 1997's Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters
Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters
Dang Bireley's and Young Gangsters is a 1997 crime drama film about young Thai gangsters in 1950s Thailand...
, set in 1950s Thailand, and the ghost thriller, Nang Nak
Nang Nak
Nang Nak is a romantic tragedy and horror film directed by Nonzee Nimibutr in 1999 through Buddy Film and Video Production Co. in Thailand, based on a legend. It features the life of a devoted ghost wife and the unsuspecting husband.-Plot:...
in 1999. Critically, and at the box office, the films were successes and marked the beginning of a "new wave" movement in the Thai film industry.
Tears of the Black Tiger
Wisit's feature-film debut was in 2000 with the colorfully audacious Tears of the Black TigerTears of the Black Tiger
Tears of the Black Tiger is a 2000 Thai western film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic romance between Dum, a fatalistic, working-class hero, who has become an outlaw, and Rumpoey, the upper-class daughter of a provincial governor, it is equal parts homage to and...
, a genre-blending western
Western (genre)
The Western is a genre of various visual arts, such as film, television, radio, literature, painting and others. Westerns are devoted to telling stories set primarily in the latter half of the 19th century in the American Old West, hence the name. Some Westerns are set as early as the Battle of...
. With a romantic melodrama at its core, the story involves outlaws, gunfights, horseback riding, comedic bits and big explosions. The film was an homage to an earlier era of Thai film - the contemplative 1950s dramas of pioneering director Rattana Pestonji
Rattana Pestonji
Rattana Pestonji was a Thai film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer and is regarded as the father of contemporary Thai film. Although his filmography was brief, his films placed Thai cinema on the world stage. He also pushed for innovations, and was one of the first Thai...
as well as the "bomb-the-mountains, burn-the-huts" action films of the 1960s that starred Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha was a Thai film actor who made 266 films from 1956 to 1970....
. One of the leading men from the 1960s and 1970s Thai action-film era, Sombat Metanee
Sombat Metanee
Sombat Metanee is a Thai actor and film director. At one time he held the Guinness World Record for most film appearances . By his own count, he's made more than 2,000 films and television shows, including lakorns...
, lent his talents to Tears of the Black Tiger, portraying the outlaw leader, Fai.
Tears of the Black Tiger was the first Thai film to be screened at the Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
, where it was in 2001's Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
program. At the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
in 2000, it won the Dragons & Tigers Award for best new director. Other awards include best art direction at the Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival
Gijón International Film Festival was created in 1963. It was born as an initiative of the local authority and it was sponsored mainly by Gijón City Council and the then Caja de Ahorros de Asturias ; both institutions are still the main organisers of the festival, along with funding from the...
in 2001 and a jury prize at the Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival
The Puchon International Fantastic Film Festival , or PiFan, is an international film festival held annually in July in Bucheon, South Korea...
. It was also screened at the 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
2006 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2006 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from February 17 to February 27. The festival's events were held in the newly opened Siam Paragon, the first time all the festival's screenings, sidebar events, activities and film market were gathered under one roof.The festival opened with the...
as part of a tribute to Sombat Metanee.
US
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
distribution rights for the film were purchased by Miramax Films
Miramax Films
Miramax Films is an American entertainment company known for distributing independent and foreign films. For its first 14 years the company was privately owned by its founders, Bob and Harvey Weinstein...
, which changed the ending and then shelved it indefinitely. In 2006, Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures
Magnolia Pictures is an American film distributor, and is a holding of 2929 Entertainment, owned by Todd Wagner and Mark Cuban. Magnolia was formed in 2001 by Bill Banowsky and Eamonn Bowles, and specializes in both foreign and independent films....
acquired the US rights to the original version of the film, and gave it a limited theatrical run in US theaters in 2007 before releasing it on DVD.
Citizen Dog
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
's Citizen Dog
Mah Nakorn
Citizen Dog is a 2004 Thai romance film, directed by Wisit Sasanatieng and based on a story by Wisit's wife, Koynuch , which was illustrated by him...
, was a contemporary romantic comedy set in Bankgok that proved to be even more colourful than Tears of the Black Tiger. Based on a novel written by Koynuch (Siripan Techajindawong
Siripan Techajindawong
Siripun Taechachiadawong is a Thai writer who writes under the pen name Koynuch.Her works include the children's book, The Little Garuda, which won honorable mention for children's books in the 2002 Nai Indra Awards. She also wrote the novel, Mah Nakorn, which was adapted into the 2004 film,...
), Wisit's long-time collaborative partner and wife, and narrated by compatriot filmmaker Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
, Citizen Dog tells the tale of two rural Thai people who come to Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
to find work and fall in love. Critics have compared it to Jean-Pierre Jeunet
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
-Life and career:Jean-Pierre Jeunet was born in Roanne, Loire, France. He bought his first camera at the age of 17 and made short films while studying animation at Cinémation Studios. He befriended Marc Caro, a designer and comic book artist who became his longtime collaborator and...
's Amelie
Amélie
Amélie is a 2001 romantic comedy film directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Written by Jeunet with Guillaume Laurant, the film is a whimsical depiction of contemporary Parisian life, set in Montmartre...
.
Distribution rights outside Asia were purchased by Luc Besson
Luc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
's EuropaCorp
EuropaCorp
EuropaCorp is a French movie studio headquartered in Paris. It has been a listed company on Euronext Paris since July 2007. Co-founded by Luc Besson and Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, the Group takes on a range of production activities like film distribution in France, DVD distribution, sales of French TV...
, and it played at several film festivals, including the Berlin Film Festival, the Toronto International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
and the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival
The San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival presented every March is the nation’s largest showcase for new Asian American and Asian films, annually presenting approximately 130 works in San Francisco, Berkeley and San Jose, USA...
. The film screened commercially in France in 2006.
The Unseeable
In 2006, while he was working to develop some future projects, Wisit directed a low-budget Thai horror filmHorror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
for Five Star Production
Five Star Production
Five Star Production Co. Ltd. is a Thai film production company. It was founded in 1973 by Kiat Iamphungphorn and is today headed by his younger brother, Charoen Iamphungporn, and Kiat's children, Aphiradee and her younger brothers Kiatkamon and Kiattikul...
called The Unseeable
The Unseeable
The Unseeable is a 2006 Thai horror film directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The first film of another writer's screenplay by the director, the writer is Kongkiat Khomsiri, one of the "Ronin Team" credited with directing the 2005 Thai horror film Art of the Devil 2.-Plot:Set in 1934 Siam, the story...
.
The Unseeable marked a change for Wisit, who was restrained by budgetary concerns from the stylizations of his first two films. Additionally, The Unseeable was the first film that he directed but did not write, with the screenplay by Kongkiat Khomsiri
Kongkiat Khomsiri
-Film career:He graduated from the Faculty of Mass Communications at Bangkok University and started his career as a crew member on Mysterious Object at Noon, the first feature film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
, one of the "Ronin Team" credited with directing the hit Thai horror thriller, Art of the Devil 2
Art of the Devil 2
Art of the Devil 2 is a 2005 Thai horror film directed by Kongkiat Khomsiri, Art Thamthrakul, Yosapong Polsap, Putipong Saisikaew, Isara Nadee, Pasith Buranajan and Seree Pongniti...
.
While the color palette was considerably muted, compared to Tears of the Black Tiger
Tears of the Black Tiger
Tears of the Black Tiger is a 2000 Thai western film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic romance between Dum, a fatalistic, working-class hero, who has become an outlaw, and Rumpoey, the upper-class daughter of a provincial governor, it is equal parts homage to and...
and Citizen Dog
Mah Nakorn
Citizen Dog is a 2004 Thai romance film, directed by Wisit Sasanatieng and based on a story by Wisit's wife, Koynuch , which was illustrated by him...
, Wisit was still able to leave his nostalgic imprint on The Unseeable by making it an homage to films of the 1930s and the stars of that era, including Bette Davis
Bette Davis
Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis was an American actress of film, television and theater. Noted for her willingness to play unsympathetic characters, she was highly regarded for her performances in a range of film genres, from contemporary crime melodramas to historical and period films and occasional...
and Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford
Joan Crawford , born Lucille Fay LeSueur, was an American actress in film, television and theatre....
.
Thai pop culture influences came from illustrator Hem Vejakorn
Hem Vejakorn
Hem Vejakorn |Thon Buri]], Bangkok) was a Thai artist and writer. He is best known for his illustrations for the covers of 10-satang pulp novels, which have in turn influenced subsequent generations of Thai artists and illustrators. It is estimated that he produced more than 50,000 pieces of art,...
, who wrote a series of 10-satang graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
ghost stories in the 1930s and '40s. The reference was so striking that the Barom Khru Foundation, which claims to supervise Hem's works, issued a statement warning Five Star Production to not violate the copyright of Hem's work. However, Wisit said the film was not an adaptation
Adaptation
An adaptation in biology is a trait with a current functional role in the life history of an organism that is maintained and evolved by means of natural selection. An adaptation refers to both the current state of being adapted and to the dynamic evolutionary process that leads to the adaptation....
of any of Hem's works but was generally inspired by Hem's style., which completed shooting in August 2006 and was released on November 2, 2006.
In addition to a release in Thailand, The Unseeable also had wide theatrical releases in Malaysia and Singapore, and screened a several film festivals, including the Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
Brussels International Festival of Fantasy Film
The Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival , previously named Brussels International Festival of Fantastic Film was created in 1983 as a venue for horror, thriller and science fiction films. It takes place in Brussels, every year in March...
, 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival
2007 Bangkok International Film Festival
The 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival was held from July 19 to July 29, 2007, at SF Group's SF World Cinema at CentralWorld. The fifth consecutive year for the festival, organizers planned a program of about 100 films, with an emphasis on Asian cinema....
(ASEAN competition) and the Cinemanila International Film Festival
Cinemanila International Film Festival
The Cinemanila International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Manila, the Philippines. It was founded by Filipino filmmaker Amable "Tikoy" Aguiluz in 1999....
.
Also in 2006, Pen-Ek became the third recipient of the Silpathorn Award for Filmmaking
Silpathorn Award
The Silpathorn Award, , is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand...
, an honor given to contemporary Thai artists by the Ministry of Culture's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture.
Norasinghavatar, Red Eagle
In 2007, Wisit participated in the Short Films Project in Commemoration of the Celebration on the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, in which nine short films were made in honor of King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej
Bhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
. Other directors participating the project included fellow Silpathorn Award
Silpathorn Award
The Silpathorn Award, , is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand...
winners Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
and Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady, which won a jury prize at the 2004...
and veteran filmmaker Bhandit Rittakol
Bhandit Rittakol
Bhandit Rittakol was an award-winning Thai film director, producer and screenwriter. His films include the controversial biographical film of Thai communist revolutionary Seksan Prasertkul, The Moonhunter; the jungle thriller Tigress of King River and The Seed , a semi-documentary story of Isan...
.
Wisit contributed Norasinghavatar, which featured his trademark colorful and highly-stylized imagery, with a blend of khon masked dance
Dance of Thailand
Dance in Thailand is the main dramatic art form of Thailand. Thai dance, like many forms of traditional Asian dance, can be divided into two major categories that correspond roughly to the high art and low art distinction....
and Thai two-handed swordplay. Though the film appears to be 3D animation, it is actually live action, but completely stylized with super-saturated colors in post-production
Post-production
Post-production is part of filmmaking and the video production process. It occurs in the making of motion pictures, television programs, radio programs, advertising, audio recordings, photography, and digital art...
.
Wisit was given a budget of 400,000 baht
Thai baht
The baht is the currency of Thailand. It is subdivided into 100 satang . The issuance of currency is the responsibility of the Bank of Thailand.-History:The baht, like the pound, originated from a traditional unit of mass...
(about US$10,000), but his project's cost ballooned to 3 million, due to the special effects and post-production costs. "It's a bad habit – I can't control the money," he said in an interview.
Also in 2007, at the American Film Market
American Film Market
The American Film Market is a film industry event held each year at the beginning of November in Santa Monica, California. About 8,000 people attend the eight day event to network and to sell and acquire films...
, it was announced that Wisit's next project for Five Star Production
Five Star Production
Five Star Production Co. Ltd. is a Thai film production company. It was founded in 1973 by Kiat Iamphungphorn and is today headed by his younger brother, Charoen Iamphungporn, and Kiat's children, Aphiradee and her younger brothers Kiatkamon and Kiattikul...
would be Red Eagle, a reboot of a 1960s Thai film series that starred Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha was a Thai film actor who made 266 films from 1956 to 1970....
as a masked superhero crimefighter. The film series ended in tragedy when Mitr was killed in 1970 during the making of Golden Eagle
Insee thong
Insee tong is a 1970 Thai action film starring Mitr Chaibancha and Petchara Chaowarat. Chaibancha died while filming the stunt for the final scene in the film.-Plot:...
. The new film was reportedly to begin production in March 2008 and would star Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham
Ananda Everingham is a Laotian-Australian film actor who was born in Thailand. Working primarily in Thai films, he is best known for his lead role in the 2004 horror film, Shutter.-Biography:...
in the title role.
Projects in development
In 2005, when Luc BessonLuc Besson
Luc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
's EuropaCorp picked up Citizen Dog
Mah Nakorn
Citizen Dog is a 2004 Thai romance film, directed by Wisit Sasanatieng and based on a story by Wisit's wife, Koynuch , which was illustrated by him...
for distribution, the company also agreed to co-produce with Five Star Production
Five Star Production
Five Star Production Co. Ltd. is a Thai film production company. It was founded in 1973 by Kiat Iamphungphorn and is today headed by his younger brother, Charoen Iamphungporn, and Kiat's children, Aphiradee and her younger brothers Kiatkamon and Kiattikul...
a long-gestating project by Wisit called Nam Prix, which takes its name after red chilies used in Thai cooking
Cuisine of Thailand
Thai cuisine is the national cuisine of Thailand. Blending elements of several Southeast Asian traditions, Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components. The spiciness of Thai cuisine is well known. As with other Asian cuisines, balance, detail and variety...
. A historical fantasy about Thai pirates, the project began in 1998 as a one-page brief, but was shelved due to financial difficulties.
While Citizen Dog was told in the contemporary style of filmmaking, and Tears of the Black Tiger portrayed an old Thai film style, Wisit has said he will endeavor to go back even further with Nam Prix, capturing the tradition of Thai temple painting
Thai art
Traditional Thai art is primarily composed of Buddhist art. Traditional Thai sculpture almost exclusively depicts images of the Buddha. Traditional Thai paintings usually consist of book illustrations, and painted ornamentation of buildings such as palaces and temples.-Painting:Traditional Thai...
and bring it to life.
"It will be an antique Thai legend, with very traditional Thai pictures like the old wall painting. But we will animate them," he was quoted as saying on ThaiCinema.org. "We will make them move. It is not an epic, but a folklore in order to tell our roots, our culture."
As of 2007, pre-production work had been completed on Nam Prix, with Five Star Production
Five Star Production
Five Star Production Co. Ltd. is a Thai film production company. It was founded in 1973 by Kiat Iamphungphorn and is today headed by his younger brother, Charoen Iamphungporn, and Kiat's children, Aphiradee and her younger brothers Kiatkamon and Kiattikul...
awaiting Besson's EuropaCorp to provide its 50% of the budget needed to get filming under way.
In March 2006 another project was announced for Wisit: a Chinese-language martial arts film
Martial arts film
Martial arts film is a film genre. A sub-genre of the action film, martial arts films contain numerous fights between characters, usually as the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often as a method of storytelling and character expression and development. Martial arts are frequently...
called Armful, which is a revenge tale about a man who loses his arm. A gifted illustrator and comic-book artist, Wisit produced conceptual poster art for the film, which he said would be influenced by Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the One-Armed Swordsman
One-Armed Swordsman
One-Armed Swordsman is a 1967 Hong Kong wuxia film produced by the Shaw Brothers Studio. Directed by Chang Cheh, it was the first of the new style of wuxia films emphasizing male anti-heroes, violent swordplay and heavy bloodletting...
films and Master of the Flying Guillotine
Master of the Flying Guillotine
Master of the Flying Guillotine is a 1976 Hong Kong wuxia film starring Jimmy Wang, who also wrote and directed the film. It is a sequel to Wang's 1971 film One Armed Boxer, and thus the film is also known as One-Armed Boxer 2 and The One Armed Boxer vs...
featuring Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu
Jimmy Wang Yu is a Chinese actor, director, producer, and screenwriter. He shot to fame with the Shaw Brothers Studio's martial arts film, The One-Armed Swordsman, in 1967...
as a one-armed fighter. Armful was initially announced by Singapore-based One Ton Cinema, which received a further pledge of backing from Hong Kong actor Andy Lau
Andy Lau
Andy Lau MH, JP is a Hong Kong Cantopop singer, actor, and film producer. Lau has been one of Hong Kong's most commercially successful film actors since the mid-1980s, performing in more than 160 films while maintaining a successful singing career at the same time...
's Focus Films.
Regarding Armful, Wisit issued the following statement:
However, as of 2007, the project was on indefinite hold, awaiting more funding.
Awards
- 20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
– Dragons and Tigers AwardDragons and Tigers AwardVIFF Dragons and Tigers Award for Young Cinema is an award from the Vancouver International Film Festival for a film director from Asia-Pacific region. It awards a creative and innovative film, made early in the director's career, which has not yet won significant international recognition...
, Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
, Tears of the Black TigerTears of the Black TigerTears of the Black Tiger is a 2000 Thai western film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic romance between Dum, a fatalistic, working-class hero, who has become an outlaw, and Rumpoey, the upper-class daughter of a provincial governor, it is equal parts homage to and...
. - 20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
– Critics Prize, Deauville Asian Film FestivalDeauville Asian Film FestivalThe Deauville Asian Film Festival takes place annually in Deauville, France since 1999 and focuses on Asian cinema...
, Citizen DogMah NakornCitizen Dog is a 2004 Thai romance film, directed by Wisit Sasanatieng and based on a story by Wisit's wife, Koynuch , which was illustrated by him... - 2006 – Silver Prize for Most Groundbreaking Film, Bronze Prize for Best Asian Film, Fantasia FestivalFantasia FestivalFantasia International Film Festival is a genre film festival that has been based mainly in Montreal since its founding in 1996...
, Citizen Dog. - 2006 – Silpathorn AwardSilpathorn AwardThe Silpathorn Award, , is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand...
for Filmmaking, Office of Contemporary Arts and Culture, Thailand Ministry of Culture.
Filmography
- Dang Bireley's and Young GangstersDang Bireley's and Young GangstersDang Bireley's and Young Gangsters is a 1997 crime drama film about young Thai gangsters in 1950s Thailand...
(2499 Antapan Krong Muang) (19971997 in film-Events:* The original Star Wars trilogy's Special Editions are released.* Production begins on Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace.* Titanic becomes the first film to gross US$1,000,000,000 at the box office making it the highest grossing film in history until Avatar broke the record in 2010.*...
) (screenwriter) - Nang NakNang NakNang Nak is a romantic tragedy and horror film directed by Nonzee Nimibutr in 1999 through Buddy Film and Video Production Co. in Thailand, based on a legend. It features the life of a devoted ghost wife and the unsuspecting husband.-Plot:...
(19991999 in filmThe year 1999 in film involved several noteworthy events and has been called "The Year That Changed Movies". Several significant feature films, including Stanley Kubrick's final film Eyes Wide Shut, Pedro Almodóvar's first Oscar-winning film All About My Mother, science fiction The Matrix, Deep...
) (screenwriter) - Tears of the Black TigerTears of the Black TigerTears of the Black Tiger is a 2000 Thai western film written and directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The story of a tragic romance between Dum, a fatalistic, working-class hero, who has become an outlaw, and Rumpoey, the upper-class daughter of a provincial governor, it is equal parts homage to and...
(Fah Talai Jone) (20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
) - Citizen Dog (Mah Nakhon) (20042004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) - The UnseeableThe UnseeableThe Unseeable is a 2006 Thai horror film directed by Wisit Sasanatieng. The first film of another writer's screenplay by the director, the writer is Kongkiat Khomsiri, one of the "Ronin Team" credited with directing the 2005 Thai horror film Art of the Devil 2.-Plot:Set in 1934 Siam, the story...
(20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
) - Norasinghavatar (Short Films Project in Commemoration of the Celebration on the Auspicious Occasion of His Majesty the King's 80th Birthday Anniversary, 2007)
- The Red EagleThe Red EagleThe Red Eagle is a 2010 Thai superhero film directed and written by Wisit Sasanatieng.-Plot:In the year 2013 in Bangkok, the Liberal Party leader Direk Damrongprapa campaigns during an election on an anti-corruption platform with the support of his fiancee Vasana Tienpradap , a Harvard educated...
(2010) - Armful (in development)
- Nam Prix (in development)
External links
- Wisit Sasanatieng at the Thai Film Database
- The Film Factory - commercials by Wisit Sasanatieng
- Armful official movie site