Sala Chaloem Thani

Sala Chaloem Thani, Bangkok’s oldest cinema, reopened last year for a series of film screenings organised by the Thai Film Archive. More classics will be shown at the historic wooden cinema this year, in a season that runs from 28th July to 16th August. Highlights include Somboonsuk Niyomsiri’s A Man Called Tone (โทน) on 29th July and Nonzee Nimibutr’s Dang Bireley’s and Young Gangsters [sic] (2499 อันธพาลครองเมือง) on 1st August.

A Man Called Tone

The release of A Man Called Tone in 1970 was a turning point in Thai cinema history. Filmed in widescreen 35mm, it marked the end of the 16mm era, a formulaic mode of production that had dominated the industry for the previous twenty years. Stylistically, its modern approach to characterisation, acting, narrative, music, and cinematography was equally groundbreaking. It was previously shown at the Archive in 2025 and — to mark Somboonsuk’s ninetieth birthday — in 2023. It was also screened in 2022 at Doc Club and Pub in Bangkok, though a gala screening at the Scala cinema in 2020 was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Dang Bireley’s and Young Gangsters

Dang Bireley’s and Young Gangsters, the film that launched the Thai New Wave in 1997, was shown last year at the Microwave Film Festival in Sisaket. It had two outdoor screenings in 2022: in Chiang Mai (in 35mm) and Bangkok. It was shown at Scala in 2018, and at Ramada Plaza in 2010. It was shown twice at the Archive in 2020.

Like 1970, 1997 was a pivotal year for Thai cinema, as Dang Bireley’s and Young Gangsters broke domestic box-office records and Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s debut Fun Bar Karaoke (ฝันบ้าคาราโอเกะ) premiered at the Berlinale. The Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (เทศกาลหนังทดลองกรุงเทพฯ ครั้งที่) and Thai Short Film and Video Festival (เทศกาลภาพยนตร์สั้น) were also founded in that year.