I went to the cinema at the weekend. This is not something I do very often these days but then the movie I went to see was being screened at Lido in Siam Square, a place I knew well during my days teaching at Chulalongkorn University. Sadly, Lido is slowly being engulfed by vendors and the new Siam Square of Hello Kitty buildings and boutique shopping facilities.
The other attraction was to go to see a documentary feature film on Thai music, Y/Our Music, directed and produced by Waraluck Hiransrettawat Every and David Reeve. Apart from mainstream Thai movies about music like Monrak Transistor and Monrak Luk Thung, I've never seen a Thai music documentary in the cinemas here in Bangkok.
Y/Our Music, which has been screened at film festivals in South Korea and the US, is not a film documentary that attempts to give a sweeping view of Thai popular music, say like Jeremy Marre did in his film in the 1980s, Two Faces Of Thailand. Rather it focuses on nine musicians, from National Artist molam Chaweewan Damnoen and khaen master Sombat Simlar to DJ Maft Sai to performance art rock band the Happyband to optician and self-taught bamboo saxophone maker Wiboon Tangyernyong to Captain Prasert Kaewpukdee, the elderly man many will know from his violin playing at his store in Chatuchak Market.
These musicians tell their stories in their own words, while the camera works around them, showing us how they make their music, how it fits into their lives (or maybe for some, how their lives revolve around their music). Most of these musicians are not mainstream bands or performers, although Por Chalardnoi Songserm and Chaweewan Damnoen are renowned and popular in the Northeast where they are based.
And as they tell their stories, themes like the contrast between the rural lifestyles of Isan musicians like phin maestro Thongsai Thabthanon (of Petch Phin Thong band fame) and the hectic noisy sonic chaos of Bangkok begin to emerge. (I would go to the film just to see Thongsai's wonderful idea of playing phin with a band of boat race drummers; a fabulous, raucous song). The photography is beautifully shot and the soundtrack expertly rendered (Waraluck is a sound engineer).
Reeve has done a great job with the editing, too, although Waraluck told me in an interview that the way the film was edited caused some confusion among Thai filmmakers who didn't think the film had been edited in the "right way" — whatever that means.
I would disagree with their assessment because how the stories are told and how the film moves between city and countryside in little episodes enables the directors to bring all the various narrative threads together at the climax of the documentary, thereby giving the viewers a powerful filmic experience: narrative enclosure.
And there are some great comments by the musicians as they talk about their music and lives, such as Chaweewan's comment about the one piece of advice her dad gave her: "Don't stop digging until you find water." Another one I liked, from I think Thongsai Thabthanon, was: "It's up to the artists to take emotion from the music."
And some of the comments cut deep, too, particularly from the Isan musicians who told of the negative reactions Bangkokians had towards their culture and language. And despite their hard times, several scenes showed them tutoring young students, passing on their skills and expertise. Sombat Simlar is shown in one beautiful scene showing his daughter how to play, while explaining how it would hold her in good stead to be able to play the khaen; she would also be able to carry on the tradition.
And perhaps what comes unconsciously from the film, the thing that connects all the nine musicians in this film, is the need to make music, to create sounds. All of them appear to be having a great time doing it, too. Waraluck told me that she and Reeve set out to have some fun making the film and I think their attitude really shines through. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Y/Our Music.
If you're at all interested in Thai music, make an effort to get to see it. Highly recommended.
This columnist can be contacted at clewley.john@gmail.com
