'In every film that I make, I try to follow society's rules and regulations as much as possible," said film director Tanwarin Sukkhapisit. Ironically, her trans-drama Insects In The Backyard was banned in Thailand due to moral indecency five years ago.
Pongsatorn Sripinta and Steven Furer in Kuen Nun.
After that Tanwarin kept pushing through in her career, making commercial films that often touch on the theme of gender, and luckily she never came close to being banned again. And yet her latest work that's being released this week, Kuen Nun (Red Wine In The Dark Night) almost reverts Tanwarin back to her nightmarish experience.
From the promotional materials, Kuen Nun promises gay nudity and steamy sex scenes (or as steamy as could be in Thai movies). The racy trailer — which shows two men kissing, devouring each other while wearing only underwear — sparked rumours that Kuen Nun could be following the Insects' trail down the banned list.
In the end, the film survived the rating board with a safe 18+, and Tanwarin was able to breathe a sigh of relief. Initially, she was even planning on removing some scenes should the board deem them too racy — she would do whatever it takes to release this film in the cinema.
"I want to show the film. I don't want to have problems anymore, and I don't want to make underground films either," said the director.
The film's Facebook page says that — while the content may not suit those under the age of 18 — by law there's no requirement for an ID check at the cinema. Everyone is practically welcome. Apparently Kuen Nun is morally "appropriate" enough in the eyes of the rating committee.
"I funded the film with my friends, the same way I did with Insects In The Backyard. We all read the script, and we believed that it should be made into a film for everyone to see," said Tanwarin. "It may be a gay film, but it's still a love story."
is now in cinemas, and Tanwarin directed, produced and wrote the screenplay. The romantic thriller stars teen actors Pongsatorn Sripinta and Steven Furer.
Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, director of Kuen Nun (Red Wine In The Dark Night).
Kuen Nun
How is Red Wine different from your previous works?
Mostly, my other LGBT films surrounded katoeys. But for gay films — one that features two men with neither one dressing up in women's clothes — this is a first. We have lots of realistic love scenes. But what still remains are the human feelings and emotions, because I mostly focus on the humanity aspect of each character. When they're faced with certain situations, how they solve the problems is according to their maturity.
How are gay films looking in the Thai market?
I would say this is a good era for gay films. A prosperous year, indeed. There are more than 10 gay films coming out this year, and many are from diverse genres.
What set this story apart from the rest?
Other gay films are mainly independent and award-winning stuff that are in for a limited release. We, however, are going for a mass market. And while some others may feature khu jin and net idols in cute, romantic stories — ours talk of love and sex from a darker and more realistic angle. We have vampires and blood-drinking. There's a fantasy aspect to it. Some of the sex scenes may seem pretty violent, as well.
How do Thai people respond to LGBT films?
Society is quite divided. Our target group — like gay men, LGBT people, and people who find joy in 'boy's love' novels — would probably watch these films. The general public would acknowledge the film's existence, but they won't be the ones walking into the cinema. Another group would be those who wouldn't watch it, and yet criticise why we're making this kind of film in the first place.
I always see this sort of comments online. They'd say, 'Why are you making this sort of movie? It's so degrading and despicable. Why are you making third-gender films?'. People say this — curse and swear at it — and they're not going to watch it anyway.
Have you ever felt discouraged by those comments?
Not at all. I respect everyone's voice and opinion. We can't block it, or force people to think our way. That's impossible. We may live in the same society, but nobody shares the same taste or interest. We have to respect others' opinions and criticism as much as we respect our own. So, I'm not discouraged. But since we can accept others' opinions, others should also open up to different taste and opinions as well.
