Finding Freedom
To mark the 80th anniversary of Thai democracy, we look at the relationship between Thai movies and the democratic ideal
- Published: 22 Jun 2012 at 00.00
- Newspaper section: Life
Eighty years ago, on June 24, 1932, the People's Party seized power and transformed Siam from an absolute monarchy to a constitutional democracy. A film crew recorded the historic revolution of that day on 35mm film, and the "movie" went on tour around Bangkok cinemas.
ILLUSTRATION BY THAI FILM ARCHIVE
But the turbulence of those years was enormous. The tussle, coup and counter-coup _ above ground and underground _ between the conservatives and the revolutionary forces were protracted, and the film was later banned before it was allowed to be shown again in a back-and-forth wrestle that reflected the shifting of power beyond the cinema screen.
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