Interesting director releases new movie.

Pen-ek Ratanaruang has long been regarded as one of Thailand’s most innovative directors. Films like Fun Bar Karaoke and Last Life in the Universe have helped to make him a widely recognised and respected name in Asian cinema.

While his style isn’t for everybody, he’s one of the kingdom’s most important filmmakers.

His latest movie, Samui Song, mixes drama, suspense, crime and dark humour. The film stars Chermarn Boonyasak and David Asavanond and tells the story of an actress called Viyada whose French husband Jerome becomes involved in a cult. After a series of disturbing events, Viyada must find a way to escape from the cult and her husband.

S Weekly recently caught up with the talented director to discuss Samui Song ahead of the film’s release on February 1.

Can you tell us about Samui Song?

Pen-ek: It’s my first full-length film since Headshot in 2011. It’s a thriller with some intense drama. There aren’t many action scenes, but it involves crime and murder, so it’s definitely exciting.

The title of the film in Thai is Mai Mee Samui Samrub Ther (There’s No Samui for You). How did this name come about?

Pen-ek: A friend came up with the title. He was inspired by the old Thai film There’s No Heaven for You. After I gave him an outline of the plot, he realised that Samui is like heaven for the main female character. It’s the only place where she can be free and happy. So we thought There’s No Samui for You would be a perfect title.

Can you tell us about the characters in the film?

Pen-ek: They’re not difficult to understand. They each have a background and their own story. The film gradually reveals their secrets, and I think the audience will enjoy the experience of discovering more about them. Every character is very realistic and human.

Is there some romance as well?

Pen-ek: Yes, but not in a way that’s typical of romantic movies. It’s very dramatic. The film tells its story through the different types of relationships that the characters have. For example, there’s the romantic relationship between Viyada and her husband, but there’s also the passion and obsession Jerome has for the cult and its leader. And there’s the unconditional love a killer has for his mother.

Which part of the film did you find most challenging to direct?

Pen-ek: Everything was challenging. Some scenes that we thought would be easy, turned out to be very difficult. Sometimes it’s hard to explain the mood and tone to the actors. Ploy Cherman often found it easier to do the more complicated scenes. When she didn’t have much to do, she had more problems.

What else would you like to say to cinemagoers before they check out Samui Song?

Pen-ek: A lot of people say that my movies are weird and not that easy to understand. But that isn’t always true. I think if you haven’t seen any of my films before, you might actually enjoy the experience more because you won’t know what to expect. I wanted to make a film where people can just enjoy the ride. Samui Song has a tense and dark atmosphere at times, but it keeps the viewer in suspense. I think it’s a lot of fun to watch.

Video from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvH8yQpG6fUnobqANUYVnRQ