Krabi 2562

Krabi 2562 Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Why Watch Krabi 2562?

  • If you’re a fan of films built around a medley of scenes that segue between narrative and fiction
  • To jump between past, ancient past, and present day Krabi
  • For a subtle critique of the changing region
From: Thailand, Asia
Watch: Trailer, IMDb
Next: Mysterious Object at Noon, Mimosas, Android's Dream

A Political Opening

Krabi 2562 opens with a shot of a school assembly outdoors (see picture above). The students chant the national anthem, and salute the national religion (Buddhism) and the monarchy that rules ‘for the happiness of the people.’ It feels a bit dystopian, but this indoctrinated patriotism is pretty common throughout the world (even American school kids sing a bunch of patriotic songs in elementary school). After the singing stops, the camera cuts to an image of two plastic sheep. It’s a juxtaposition that symbolizes the blind patriotism of the kids and teachers.

I expected the film to contain more of a political message after the political jab in the opening. I also embarrassingly thought it would portray a dystopian future due to my ignorance that the date is in fact taken from the Buddhist calendar instead of the Gregorian one we’re familiar with; 2652 = 2019. Instead, Krabi 2562 is built around a series of clips of life in the region from interviews to deadpan narratives. There’s no main characters, not much of a continuous narrative, and it’s not a documentary either. In this sense, the style reminded me a bit of another Thai film, Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Mysterious Object at Noon, and a bit of Andrea Bussman’s Fausto, two more films that weave together a mix of footage to create a feeling of story.

Time Traveling

Instead of following a particular character, the film hops between different scenes: some which seem real; and others that seem fictional. Seen together, they create a sense of the feeling of life in Krabi and how it’s changing. Some scenes, such as the interview with the boxer reminiscing on his past life, and the lady following in her parent’s footsteps, evoke a recent past. Other scenes, those that feature the ancient myths told by the Thai guide, and those that feature a pair of cavemen, evoke the ancient past. Whilst the contemporary present is represented by the tourists (foreign and domestic) visiting the region, and the advertising crew using the region’s natural beauty for an ad shoot. Whilst it doesn’t explicitly shout out that the region is taking a bad direction from past to present, it does show that local culture is being marginalized. The cavemen, boxer, and native crew member have been pushed aside (the native crew member literally disappears); the wildlife have turned into statues in a zoo inspected by people in Hazmat suits; and the myths and landscape have been converted into tourist draws. It’s as if the region is being ‘sanitized’ to cater to tourists and the outside world.

However, one thing that is lasting is the areas beautiful landscape. It still looks like the same place that the cavemen inhabited. It existed before stories. Despite the incursions of the outer world, the quiet soundtrack, populated mostly by the natural sounds of birds and cicadas, seems to hint that nature is also still in control. Whilst the people of Krabi can be pushed aside and marginalized, and the animals frozen in time, the beautiful landscapes’ immutability will continue to draw life to the region be it native or foreign.

What to Watch Next

If you want to watch more films built around a medley of scenes that segue between narrative and fiction, check out Andrea Bussman’s Fausto and Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Mysterious Object at Noon.

Or if you want to watch another film whose narrative seamlessly jumps between the past and present, I strongly recommend watching Oliver Laxe’s Mimosas. (On a side note, Oliver Laxe actually makes a cameo in Krabi 2562 as the ad commercial director). You could also watch The Last of Us, another intriguing film which follows an African migrant that gets stuck with a modern day caveman in the wild, preventing him from reaching his European dream.

Finally, if you wanted to watch a slow, experimental sci-fi set in a touristic region (as I thought this film was going to be), check out Ion de Sosa’s Androids Dream, set in the Spanish beach resort town of Benindorm in the off-season.

Jamilia's Super 8 footage

Jamilia Film Difficulty Ranking: 3

Jamilia is for all women living in patriarchal societies (therefore pretty much all societies) around the world. You’ll get to hear from a number of Kyrgyz women, young and old, married and single, that are hoping for a freer future.

From: Kyrgyzstan, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Rent on Amazon
Next: Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania, Liyana, Freedom Fields
Continue reading “Jamilia – Hear from the Women of Kyrgyzstan”
Ilo Ilo

Ilo Ilo Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Follow a 28 year old Filipino maid as she starts work for a dysfunctional family in Singapore. They all have their problems and bad habits, but they’re all human, just like us. Ilo Ilo perfectly captures the up and down emotions of everyday life in this family’s home and the immigrant experience in Singapore.

From: Singapore, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Tubi, Kanopy, Rent on Amazon, Buy on Amazon
Next: Roma, Scent of Green Papaya, Shoplifters
Continue reading “Ilo Ilo – Help Out A Dysfuntional Family in Singapore”

This is Not a Film Film Difficulty Ranking: 4

Panahi is an inspiration for the film industry. He made This is Not a Film whilst under government orders not to make a film (after being charged with making propaganda against the Iranian government). Luckily, Panahi cannot simply stop making films, it’s part of his nature. Also, luckily, someone smuggled this gem out of Iran on a flash drive hidden inside a cake. So consider yourself lucky that you can watch this film!

From: Iran, Asia
Watch: Trailer, Buy on Amazon, Kanopy
Next: Taxi Tehran, Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania, Lost in La Mancha
Continue reading “This is Not a Film – Film-Making Under House Arrest”
45

Omar

Film Difficulty Ranking: 2

Omar reminded me of a Shakesperian-esque epic. He fights for love and carries the patriotism of Palestine, but for what? Think of a Mexican drug-war thriller like Heli, Miss Bala, or even a film like Zero Dark Thirty shot from the other side and you will be getting close to the kind of film that Omar is. There’s no drugs in Omar, but there is one man fighting for normality whilst dealing with the expectation that he must fight for his people.

Why Watch Omar?
  • Learn a little bit about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict from a Palestinian.
  • Romantic love vs. Patriotism – which would you choose?
  • It was nominated for an Academy Award!
  • It was even screened at the United Nations = must be important!
The Breakdown

Omar starts with a man standing by a large concrete wall watching cars pass by. As soon as the cars on the road disappear he climbs up a long rope attached to the concrete wall. As he reaches the top gun shots fly by him and he drops down quickly on the other side. He made it but his hands are bloodied from the rope burns. He disappears into the streets to dodge any potential chasers.

The tension in Omar is always present. You never know when Omar is going to be chased. He never has complete freedom as the Israeli police are always watching his and everybody else’s actions. Right from the start, the great big West Bank Wall obstructs his freedom of passage from the place he lives to where his girlfriend goes to school. Later in the film, as the pressure mounts on Omar, he struggles to actually climb the wall – showing the extra limits on the already limited freedom he already had. This wall, and Omar’s relation to it, symbolise the oppression of Omar and the Palestinian people.

Another thing to watch out for are the billboards and messages that appear in the background of some of the scenes. One of the billboards has a happy looking commercial for something or other with the words ‘Planting Hope’. Other billboards carry similar positive messages which the director has planted in the background to dramatically contrast with the oppressed Palestinians. The Israeli billboards mark the difference between what the Israelis can do and what the Palestinians cannot. Just like the Wall, they are symbols of the lack of freedom for the Palestinian people.

This is an important film for everyone to watch – plus it’s available on Netflix. So, what are you waiting for? Watch this one now!