Diary of the Undead, a major programme of short films, will take place on 24th April at Thammasat University’s Rangsit campus. The selected films address themes of traumatic memory and state injustice, from the 2010 Ratchaprasong crackdown to the recent student protest movement and the coronavirus pandemic.
As the event organisers say on their Facebook and Instagram pages, the nationalism, negligence, and intolerance of those in power have caused extensive loss of life, for which there has been no accountability. They deplore the fact that Anutin Charnvirakul won this year’s election despite his record as minister of health during the pandemic.
They compare such figures to vampires, as they seem to enjoy political immortality, hence the title of the first part of the programme, Vampire Legacy. (Journalist Marina Hyde has also compared British politicians to vampires for the same reason.) The second part is titled โควิดกระจอก (‘Covid-19 is insignificant’), and its highlights include Bangkok 2564 (เมืองฟ้าอมร) and New Abnormal (ผิดปกติใหม่).
As the event organisers say on their Facebook and Instagram pages, the nationalism, negligence, and intolerance of those in power have caused extensive loss of life, for which there has been no accountability. They deplore the fact that Anutin Charnvirakul won this year’s election despite his record as minister of health during the pandemic.
They compare such figures to vampires, as they seem to enjoy political immortality, hence the title of the first part of the programme, Vampire Legacy. (Journalist Marina Hyde has also compared British politicians to vampires for the same reason.) The second part is titled โควิดกระจอก (‘Covid-19 is insignificant’), and its highlights include Bangkok 2564 (เมืองฟ้าอมร) and New Abnormal (ผิดปกติใหม่).
The third part, featuring political documentaries, is titled Unfortunately, We’re Still Here, a reference to former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva’s comment that “unfortunately, some people died” at Ratchaprasong. Abhisit was prime minister during the crackdown, and his dismissive comment in a BBC interview also inspired Unfortunately (a poster by Njorvks) and Kawinnate Konklong’s short film Unfortunately (แค่วันที่โชคร้าย).
Part three is the most provocative section of the programme. Highlights include Cremation Ceremony (ประวัติย่อของบางสิ่งที่หายไป), The Letter from Silence (จดหมายจากความเงียบ), Democracy after Death (ประชาธิปไตยหลังความตาย), Develop Viriyaporn Who Dared in Three Worlds (เจริญวิริญาพรมาหาทำใน 3 โลก), and Letter from Mr. Colour Blind (จดหมายของนายตาบอดสี).
Diary of the Undead is organised by JubChaii, and will be held at The Oasis, part of the House of Wisdom community space at Thammasat. The event’s English title is a pun on the George Romero zombie film Diary of the Dead; its Thai title is จดจําพวกมัน, as seen on the poster for the event, though it has been mistakenly listed online as อย่าลืมพวกมัน.
Part three is the most provocative section of the programme. Highlights include Cremation Ceremony (ประวัติย่อของบางสิ่งที่หายไป), The Letter from Silence (จดหมายจากความเงียบ), Democracy after Death (ประชาธิปไตยหลังความตาย), Develop Viriyaporn Who Dared in Three Worlds (เจริญวิริญาพรมาหาทำใน 3 โลก), and Letter from Mr. Colour Blind (จดหมายของนายตาบอดสี).
Diary of the Undead is organised by JubChaii, and will be held at The Oasis, part of the House of Wisdom community space at Thammasat. The event’s English title is a pun on the George Romero zombie film Diary of the Dead; its Thai title is จดจําพวกมัน, as seen on the poster for the event, though it has been mistakenly listed online as อย่าลืมพวกมัน.
Bangkok 2564
Panisa Khueanphet’s Bangkok 2564 (เมืองฟ้าอมร) is the director’s silent assessment of the city in the present day. (2564 is the Buddhist Era equivalent of 2021, the year the film was made.)
Its Thai title translates as ‘heavenly’ or ‘angelic’, though this is intended ironically, as the film highlights the authoritarian nature of city life. Panisa films police officers and security guards in public spaces, and protesters at Democracy Monument. In the final moments, riot police advance on demonstrators who give a three-finger salute.
Bangkok 2564 is similar to Weerapat Sakolvaree’s Zombie Citizens, which was filmed at around the same time. Both films show access to the Grand Palace blocked by shipping containers, and Bangkok’s streets largely deserted after coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The two films are also commentaries on the state’s attitudes towards its citizens.
Bangkok 2564 hints at this with a shot of the Baiyoke Tower II skyscraper, which has an LED panel that features the scrolling message “LONG LIVE THE” — the final word is missing, as the panel cuts to a commercial. (The advert is for the FWD insurance company, whose name and orange brand identity resemble the progressive Move Forward Party.)
Its Thai title translates as ‘heavenly’ or ‘angelic’, though this is intended ironically, as the film highlights the authoritarian nature of city life. Panisa films police officers and security guards in public spaces, and protesters at Democracy Monument. In the final moments, riot police advance on demonstrators who give a three-finger salute.
Bangkok 2564 is similar to Weerapat Sakolvaree’s Zombie Citizens, which was filmed at around the same time. Both films show access to the Grand Palace blocked by shipping containers, and Bangkok’s streets largely deserted after coronavirus pandemic restrictions. The two films are also commentaries on the state’s attitudes towards its citizens.
Bangkok 2564 hints at this with a shot of the Baiyoke Tower II skyscraper, which has an LED panel that features the scrolling message “LONG LIVE THE” — the final word is missing, as the panel cuts to a commercial. (The advert is for the FWD insurance company, whose name and orange brand identity resemble the progressive Move Forward Party.)
New Abnormal
In a series of static shots and long takes, Sorayos Prapapan’s satirical New Abnormal takes aim at former military prime minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and his mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic. In one sequence, a paramedic reveals the scale of the problem: “It’s already mid-2021, our country’s people is still only less than 10% vaccinated.” Sadly, the statistic was accurate at the time the film was made.
Another scene eavesdrops on a meeting between Prayut, then-deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, and a civil servant. When the bureaucrat asks about bailouts for businesses affected by the lockdown, an irritable Prayut barks back: “Why do you always hand me problems? It’s tiring enough acting as Prime Minister, you know!” Meanwhile, Prawit remains slumped in his chair, fast asleep (as was often the case in parliament). Prayut is played by Phayao Nimma, who also portrayed him in The Cave (นางนอน); in the credits, he’s described as “Stupid Prime minister who did coup” [sic].
The film ends with a recreation of an anti-government protest (on a small scale, given the low budget), which is dispersed by riot police with water cannon, tear gas, and rubber bullets (the latter heard but not seen). In the last shot, wisps of tear gas swirl slowly around a solitary rubber duck. The end-credits song is an anti-government anthem based on the Hamtaro (とっとこハム太郎) anime theme tune.
Another scene eavesdrops on a meeting between Prayut, then-deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon, and a civil servant. When the bureaucrat asks about bailouts for businesses affected by the lockdown, an irritable Prayut barks back: “Why do you always hand me problems? It’s tiring enough acting as Prime Minister, you know!” Meanwhile, Prawit remains slumped in his chair, fast asleep (as was often the case in parliament). Prayut is played by Phayao Nimma, who also portrayed him in The Cave (นางนอน); in the credits, he’s described as “Stupid Prime minister who did coup” [sic].
The film ends with a recreation of an anti-government protest (on a small scale, given the low budget), which is dispersed by riot police with water cannon, tear gas, and rubber bullets (the latter heard but not seen). In the last shot, wisps of tear gas swirl slowly around a solitary rubber duck. The end-credits song is an anti-government anthem based on the Hamtaro (とっとこハム太郎) anime theme tune.
Cremation Ceremony
Vichart Somkaew’s Cremation Ceremony, which resembles a video installation, begins with the faces of three politicians staring impassively at the viewer. The three men — Anutin, Abhisit, and Prayut — are associated with three tragic injustices: respectively, the Thai government’s initially sluggish response to the coronavirus pandemic, the Ratchaprasong crackdown, and the ramping up of lèse-majesté prosecutions.
Vichart sets fire to photographs of the three men, their faces distorting as the photographic paper burns. There is no sound except the crackling of the flame. This symbolic ritual is a reminder of the deaths of Covid-19 victims, red-shirt protesters, and political dissidents, though it’s also a metaphorical act of retribution, as the three politicians have faced no consequences for their actions.
While the three portraits burn slowly, captions mourn the forgotten victims: red-shirts shot while sheltering in Wat Pathum Wanaram, political prisoners charged under article 112, and victims of the coronavirus. (Cremation Ceremony originally ended on a hopeful note with a final caption explaining that pro-democracy parties had “emerged victorious” in the 2023 election. But after the film’s release, Move Forward was excluded from the governing coalition, and the optimistic caption has now been removed.)
Vichart sets fire to photographs of the three men, their faces distorting as the photographic paper burns. There is no sound except the crackling of the flame. This symbolic ritual is a reminder of the deaths of Covid-19 victims, red-shirt protesters, and political dissidents, though it’s also a metaphorical act of retribution, as the three politicians have faced no consequences for their actions.
While the three portraits burn slowly, captions mourn the forgotten victims: red-shirts shot while sheltering in Wat Pathum Wanaram, political prisoners charged under article 112, and victims of the coronavirus. (Cremation Ceremony originally ended on a hopeful note with a final caption explaining that pro-democracy parties had “emerged victorious” in the 2023 election. But after the film’s release, Move Forward was excluded from the governing coalition, and the optimistic caption has now been removed.)
The Letter from Silence
The Letter from Silence, also by Vichart, features extracts from letters by lawyer and pro-democracy campaigner Arnon Nampa to his family, written while he serves a prison sentence for lèse-majesté. Arnon’s letters are often heartbreaking, as he faces the prospect of many years in jail if convicted on further charges, separated from his wife and their two young children.
The film is silent, except for ambient sounds recorded at night in a quiet neighbourhood, letting Arnon’s words stand alone. This makes it all the more powerful, and emphasises the hopelessness of Arnon’s situation.
The Letter from Silence’s focus on Arnon’s letters themselves has echoes of another short film with a similar title, Prap Boonpan’s Letter from the Silence (จดหมายจากความเงียบ). Prap’s film documented the suicide note left by Nuamthong Praiwan, who had protested against the 2006 coup by crashing his taxi into a tank.
The film is silent, except for ambient sounds recorded at night in a quiet neighbourhood, letting Arnon’s words stand alone. This makes it all the more powerful, and emphasises the hopelessness of Arnon’s situation.
The Letter from Silence’s focus on Arnon’s letters themselves has echoes of another short film with a similar title, Prap Boonpan’s Letter from the Silence (จดหมายจากความเงียบ). Prap’s film documented the suicide note left by Nuamthong Praiwan, who had protested against the 2006 coup by crashing his taxi into a tank.
Democracy After Death
Neti Wichiansaen’s Democracy after Death is an account of Thailand’s recent political history, bookended by the coups of 2006 and 2014. These events are narrated in a voiceover addressed to Nuamthong, the pro-democracy protester who committed suicide in 2006. (Last year, Wana Wanlayongkoon painted a portrait of Nuamthong and his taxi.)
The film covers Thailand’s polarisation between the yellow-shirt and red-shirt protesters, culminating in the military crackdown of 2010, which it describes as “the most brutal political massacre in Thai history.” Abhisit is blamed personally for the massacre: “Directly responsible, Abhisit Vejjajiva holds Thailand’s new record of the number of people shot by the military.”
Democracy after Death highlights the underhand tactics of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (extorting money and sabotaging the 2014 election). But the film is clearly biased in favour of Thaksin Shinawatra, noting sympathetically that he “was forced to leave and has had to remain outside Thailand” though ignoring his corruption conviction.
The film’s director is also living in exile, due to a previous lèse-majesté prosecution, and Democracy after Death was self-censored to avoid further charges: a photograph of the junta and Rama IX on the night of the 2006 coup was pixelated, and a soldier’s pledge of loyalty to the king was bleeped out. However, the version screening at Diary of the Undead is unpixelated and unbleeped.
The film covers Thailand’s polarisation between the yellow-shirt and red-shirt protesters, culminating in the military crackdown of 2010, which it describes as “the most brutal political massacre in Thai history.” Abhisit is blamed personally for the massacre: “Directly responsible, Abhisit Vejjajiva holds Thailand’s new record of the number of people shot by the military.”
Democracy after Death highlights the underhand tactics of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (extorting money and sabotaging the 2014 election). But the film is clearly biased in favour of Thaksin Shinawatra, noting sympathetically that he “was forced to leave and has had to remain outside Thailand” though ignoring his corruption conviction.
The film’s director is also living in exile, due to a previous lèse-majesté prosecution, and Democracy after Death was self-censored to avoid further charges: a photograph of the junta and Rama IX on the night of the 2006 coup was pixelated, and a soldier’s pledge of loyalty to the king was bleeped out. However, the version screening at Diary of the Undead is unpixelated and unbleeped.
Develop Viriyaporn Who Dared in Three Worlds
Who is Viriyaporn Boonprasert? She has submitted quite a few films to the Thai Short Film and Video Festival (เทศกาลภาพยนตร์สั้น), though the organisers have no idea who she is. Her short films, with their ironic juxtapositions of found footage, satirise the elitism and nationalism of the Thai political establishment. Viriyaporn is a pseudonym, and presumably she disguises her identity because her work deals with Thai politics and other sensitive issues.
Viriyaporn’s film Ghost of Centralworld was made in response to the 2010 military crackdown. It features an emotional account from the father of Kittipong Somsuk, whose death was caused by arsonists who burnt the Zen department store, followed by news footage of the store’s reopening, when tragedy and political controversy were swept away in the name of consumerism. (Ghost of Centralworld will be screened as one of several unannounced bonus films at Diary of the Undead.)
The mysterious tale of the anonymous filmmaker is told in Develop Viriyaporn Who Dared in Three Worlds. Director Kanyarat Theerakrittayakorn interviewed various film experts — including Chalida Uabumrungjit, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Jit Phokaew, and Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa — who speculate on Viriyaporn’s real identity. They even begin to suspect each other, as Thai cinephiles are a close-knit group and she seems to be an insider. This leads to bemused denials by some contributors (some more convincing than others), and Viriyaporn remains an enigma.
Viriyaporn’s film Ghost of Centralworld was made in response to the 2010 military crackdown. It features an emotional account from the father of Kittipong Somsuk, whose death was caused by arsonists who burnt the Zen department store, followed by news footage of the store’s reopening, when tragedy and political controversy were swept away in the name of consumerism. (Ghost of Centralworld will be screened as one of several unannounced bonus films at Diary of the Undead.)
The mysterious tale of the anonymous filmmaker is told in Develop Viriyaporn Who Dared in Three Worlds. Director Kanyarat Theerakrittayakorn interviewed various film experts — including Chalida Uabumrungjit, Chulayarnnon Siriphol, Jit Phokaew, and Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa — who speculate on Viriyaporn’s real identity. They even begin to suspect each other, as Thai cinephiles are a close-knit group and she seems to be an insider. This leads to bemused denials by some contributors (some more convincing than others), and Viriyaporn remains an enigma.
The Letter of Mr. Colour Blind
The Letter of Mr. Colour Blind, an early film by Sorayos, was released in 2010 and shows the red-shirt protests from that year. There is no dialogue, though a recent graduate and red-shirt supporter reads a letter to his father in voiceover.
All colour in the film is desaturated, except for the red t-shirts and flags of the protesters. This was presumably inspired by Chai Chaiyachit and Chisanucha Kongwailap’s short film Re-presentation (ผีมะขาม ไพร่ฟ้า ประชาธิปไตย ในคืนที่ลมพัดหวน), in which the yellow t-shirts worn by monarchists are the only objects shown in colour.
All colour in the film is desaturated, except for the red t-shirts and flags of the protesters. This was presumably inspired by Chai Chaiyachit and Chisanucha Kongwailap’s short film Re-presentation (ผีมะขาม ไพร่ฟ้า ประชาธิปไตย ในคืนที่ลมพัดหวน), in which the yellow t-shirts worn by monarchists are the only objects shown in colour.
