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From the "On The Scene" Archives: Bangkok to Open with "Siamese Renaissance" by Brian Brooks/indieWIRE
One-hundred films from forty countries will screen at the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival, which will open January 22nd with the premiere of the Thai film, "The Siamese Renaissance" by Surapong Pinijkhar which is based on locally popular novel about a young woman traveling in time to 19th century Thailand. The film will screen as part of the international competition along with eleven other titles. Films in the slate include Toronto opener "The Barbarian Invasions" by Denys Arcand, Brazil's "Carandiru" by Hector Babenco, Italian director Frezan Ozpetek's "Facing Windows," and Peter Webber's "Girl with a Pearl Earring." Other films in the international competition line-up include 2004 Spirit Award-nominated "In America" by Jim Sheridan, Golden Globe nominated "Lost in Translation" by Sofia Coppola, Indian director Vishal Bharadwaj's "Maqbool," France's "Nathalie" by Anne Fontaine, "Rosenstrasse" by Margarethe von Tratta (Germany/Netherlands), Toronto favorite "Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring" by Korean Kim Ki-duk and Japan's "Zaitoichi" by Takeshi Kitano. In addition to the international competition, the festival will host screenings in other sidebars including two programs for Thai films with a retrospective of Thai docs and a new Thai Panorama section screening Thai films that have not received distribution outside the country. More international titles meanwhile will accompany the festival's Windows of the World section. Slated titles include Nigel Cole's "Calendar Girls" (U.K.), Bhutan's Khyentse Norbu's "Travelers and Magicians," Charles Martin Smith's "The Snow Walker" (Canada), and Robert Altman's latest, "The Company." Cinematographer Christopher Doyle will be honored at the festival's "Cinematographer's Day" January 29-30 with a screening of some of his work. Films slated for the retrospective are "Hero," "In the Mood for Love," "Last Life in the Universe," and "Three." Doyle will be present to receive the festival's Crystal Lens award at a gala hosted in his honor. Along with the festival, Bangkok will also hold the Bangkok Film Market on January 27-29, hosting film companies from over 40 countries. Also, the festival will host a jazz concert featuring Regina Carter as well as other events. "This year we will continue to mark the growing significance of Bangkok to the world's motion picture community as a prime launching platform for quality international filmmaking," commented Juthamas Siriwan, Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand and festival president in an event release. The Bangkok International Film Festival concludes February 2nd. [For more information, please visit: www.bangkokfilm.org] | |
