Survivance

In the wealthy Bangkok house he shares with his father, Ake, a young paralyzed man, is nailed to his bed.His days go by uneasily, marked by his angry silence due to dependence. A nursing auxiliary, Pun, has been recruited to take care of him. At first, they communicate little. The young man starts to open up his heart through candid conversations. The close proximity to Pun makes Ake’s universe less stagnant.

 

Presentation

 Fiction - Thailand - 2010 - 82 min - DCP - 1:85

 

DVD and Extras

Mundane History
Graceland : one night in Bangkok, Jon meets a mysterious woman. Together they set out on a journey to a foreign land - the human heart (Cannes 2006, 17 min)

Lunch:a teen-movie the time to have diner at Bangkok (Rotterdam 2011, 30 min)

24-pages booklet  + poster

 

1:1.85 / Thailand / Subtitles : English / 82 min

DVD 9 / Pal / All zones / 16:9

 

Press and writings

"Anocha directed several movies as delicate as audacious. Her Mundane History gave me a feeling of strangeness. I'm a great admirer." - Apichatpong Weerasethakul

“Along with the Golden Palm won by Apichatpong Weerasethakul in 2010 Mundane History, whose modest title could be confusing (mundane means trivial, banal) is the other essential Thai film, and one of the major Asian revelations of the year." - Jérôme Baron // Festival des 3 Continents

“Mundane History subtly deconstructs the plot chronology, intertwined images registers, mingles intimacy with cosmic in the way of a very exciting cinematic object. MH also confirms the impression, felt after the screening, that we are facing a new talent we should consider. " Jean-François Rauger // Le Monde

“Experimental, spiritual, political, a beautiful first movie from Thailand.” Léo Soesanto // Les Inrockuptibles

“The theme of the filiation, captured in its melancholic dimension, and the shards of an illustrated cosmogony, give to Mundane History the appearance of a tropical Tree of Life but without the mystical dimension nor the totalizing ambition of Malick’s great narrative.” Jean-Philippe Tessé // Les Cahiers du Cinéma

“This film knows how disconnect from its reality in order to reach, for example, a sudden and unexpected dive into the cosmos." Emile Breton // L'Humanité

“[Mundane History...] unfolds a surprisingly rich emotional world, both quiet and cruel, delicate and tense. We have got a film there. We have got a filmmaker." Jean-Michel Frodon // Projection Publique

"Now that everyone knows how perfectly pronounce Apichatpong Weerasethakul, it may be time to get to Anocha Suwichakornpong whose firstfeature Mundane History is amazing and scoring." Arnaud Hée // Critikat (film de la semaine)

 "A confusing movie, both a sensory exploration and a metaphysical quest.” David Fontaine // Le Canard enchaîné

 "From story-telling and experimental material, the filmmaker succeeds in composing a poem where formal research acts like a vector of poetry and an emotional catalyzer.”  Xavier Leherpeur // TéléCinéObs

 "Though it starts in a wadded way, then Mundane History never stops to surprise or amaze its viewer."  Antoine Benderitter // East Asia

 

Festivals and Awards

Mundane History was selected in more than 40 festivals and won more than ten awards:

Rotterdam international film festival 2010 // Tiger Award

Transylvania International Film Festival 2010 // Premier Prix

Mumbai Film Festival 2010 // Best director

New Horizons, Festival de Breslau 2010 // Grand Prix_

Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival // NETPAC Award

Pusan International Film International // New Currents Competition

Paris Cinéma // Official selection, in competition

Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes // Official selection, hors compétition

Festival International de la Rochelle // Sélection Ici et Ailleurs

World Film Festival of Bangkok // Film d’ouverture

_Sao Paulo International Film Festival //Official selection

San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival // Official selection

 

Director

Anocha Suwichakorpong was born in 1976 in Thailand. She grew up in Pattaya and lived a part of her adolescence in England. She studied Film at Columbia University in New York where she met her loyal photographer, Min Kai Leung. She came out with a final student film project named Graceland, the first Thai short film presented at Cannes official selection (Cinefondation).

She founded Electric Eel Films with Soros, the noteworthy producer, noticed after Eternity (2011 Sivaroj Kongsakul) and Wonderful Town (2007, Aditya Assarat).

The production company allows her to prepare her first feature film Mundane History and to produce other young Thai directors’ movies.

Mundane History has been selected in over 40 festivals from Busan to La Rochelle. It won the Tiger Award in Rotterdam in 2010.

She received the Best director Award from Jane Campion, head of the jury for the Mumbai Festival. She produced with Apichatpong Weerasethakul, the first film of Lee Chatametikool, their common editor.

Her second feature film, By the time its gets dark, produced by Survivance, has been selected in several international festivals and will be realesed soon in cinema.

 

Filmography

2012 Overseas, co-directed with Wichanon Somumjarn (Locarno Film Festival)

2010 Lunch (CM - Festival de Rotterdam, Festival de Buenos Aires...)

2010 Mundane History (LM)

2008 Like. Real. Love (CM)

2008 Tree – Zero (CM)

2007 Jai (CM - Festival de Rotterdam, Festival de Oberhausen...)

2006 Graceland (CM - Festival de Cannes-Cinéfondation, Rotterdam, Sundance)

10€