9th International Film Festival: A look at Thai Cenema

The Thai cinema was honoured Thursday night in Marrakech, in the framework of the 9th International Film Festival of Marrakech (FIFM).

Speaking on this occasion, a delegation of filmmakers and producers of Thailand has expressed their deep appreciation to His Majesty King Mohammed VI and HRH Prince Moulay Rachid, President of the Foundation FIFM, noting that Thai films screened in this festival illustrate the development experienced by the film industry for nearly a decade. The evening was punctuated by the projection of long-Thai film "Sawasdee Bangkok," a film by Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng, Aditya Assarat and Kongdej Jaturanrasmee.

This film examines the personal look of four directors on Thai Bangkok, the capital of Thailand. Four visions of the city in a single day through the lives of its inhabitants, big and small, young and old, rich and poor, together forming a kaleidoscope of rich colours in the image of Bangkok. Several recent Thai films are screened in the festival, including "Tears of the black tiger" Wisit Sasanatieng (2000), "Jan Dara" by Nonzee Nimibutr (2001), "My Girl" by Vitch Gojiew, Songyos Sugmakanan and Nithiwat Tharathorn (2002), the unforgettable "Ong-Bak" by Prachya Pinkaew (2003) and "Dorm" by Songyos Sugmakanan (2006). With the emergence of a new generation of writers, the export of commercial films around the world and a strong participation of artworks and testing in major international festivals, the Thai cinema has been experiencing an art boom since 1997.