'How did my age shape the new movie?" Chookiat "Madiew" Sakveerakul, 31, repeats the question before taking a long pause. Then he breaks out laughing. Indeed, it seems like a strange question for someone so young, but we're also talking about someone who in less than in a decade has won Thailand's top prizes for film-makers, wowed international festival audiences and carved out a place for himself among the upper echelon of this country's film-makers. And there is also no doubting that Home marks a shift for the versatile director.
Whereas once he counted himself "among the Freddy generation" (in reference to the Nightmare on Elm Street films), he's more mature now and that is reflected in his latest offering, he says.
He compared Home with Love of Siam, a groundbreaking romance about two gay teenage boys that won him a slew of awards in 2007. That film was a departure from his earlier efforts which _ as you'd expect with the Freddy generation _ leaned more toward thrillers, such as the international film festival smash 13 Beloved in 2006. He says Home represented even more of a change.
"Home is more realistic than Love of Siam," he says. "Back when I was in my twenties, I had ambitious and wild dreams. Over the years, I discovered that life is not always that rosy and you cannot live forever."
What brought him in part to that realisation was the death of his father following the filming of 13 Beloved.
"That was one of the saddest moments of my life," he says. "I probably know more about how to play the game of life and accepting the happiness and sadness that life brings, the losses and gains."
Home, which Madiew wrote as well as directed, reflects that new understanding, but also underscores the importance of having a "home" where warmth, tenderness and the inspiration to continue on is waiting.
Home features three subplots about characters from Chiang Mai. Penpak Sirikul is a woman wrestling with the past after her husband dies, while Juthawut Pattarakumphol plays a man reminscing about his high school days and Siraphan Wattanajinda stars as an engaged woman who returns to her northern home only to meet her first love.
"Many people unfortunately don't have someone to love or they live without hope. They're lonely and live in misery. At the end of the day, they have to get through these painful situations, get back on their feet and move on." That, he says, is the message of his latest film.
But not one to let the mood sink too deeply, he was quick to add, "I'm not saying it isn't fun to watch! It's still romantic."
Several well known actors are in the film, including Penpak, but Madiew stresses star power would mean nothing without a good plot.
"It's the story that sells the movie and lures people to cinemas. The time when a movie could rely solely on superstars is long gone."
OLD FRIENDS: Above, Penpak Sirikul, and right, Siraphan Wattanajinda and Ruangsak Loychusak in scenes from ‘Home’.
His casting choices were made for similar reasons, he says.
"I was lucky to have a chance to work with them. I've known Phi Tai [Penpak] for a long time. But that's not why she's in the movie. She's in it because of her skill as an actress. She was the first one I had in mind when I wrote the script."
Madiew attributes part of the reason why his films are so successful to his voracious reading habit.
"I read everything and write down anything I find interesting. Who knows, one day it could be a movie of mine."
In addition to Elm Street, Madiew grew up watching films like the Friday the 13th series and Aliens. As he became more serious about the prospect of film-making as a career, his attention was turned to screen masters closer to home _ Bandit Rittakol, Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol, Itthi-sunthorn Wichailak and Prachya Pinkaew are among his idols.
Madiew began his film-making career in 2000 when he was only 22 with the short film Ban Kao (Old Home). Four years later he directed the horror film Khon Pee Pisaj (Evil) followed by 12 Begin and then 13 Beloved, the film that changed his life and launched him domestically and abroad.
13 Beloved, a hard to define mix of horror and comedy, is about a man competing in a underground reality game show where mysterious callers make him complete bizarre and dangerous stunts. The film earned him the Golden Prize at the Fantasia International Film Festival in Canada, best movie in the Puchon International Film Festival and best Asian film at the European Film Festival Federation Asian Awards.
His success with 13 Beloved was cemented with Love of Siam, a critical darling that established him as one of the top young bloods in the movie business.
The film became the talk of the town, not least because of its controversial premise _ an open exploration of the romance between two young male gay teens. Despite, or perhaps partly because of the controversy, Love of Siam was a smash hit, grossing 42 million baht and bagging several awards. He won Best Picture and Best Director at the Subhannahongsa awards, as well as awards from from Star Entertainment, Starpics, Chalermthai and the Critics' Club. Star Entertainment, Starpics and the Critics' club also named him the year's best screenwriter for the film.
The success was a heady experience for a 26 year old. ''The success of Love of Siam was a phenomenon. It's something that I never expected before,'' he says.
Madiew moved on to take part in Four Romances, a collaboration with three other directors. He was responsible for the ''Dream'' part of the film, which many critics deemed the movie's best section. But he says it could be his last time working on such a project.
''When you make a film with other directors, you don't have much freedom. You have to compromise with the others to ensure the movie flows smoothly,'' he says. ''But that doesn't mean I will completely turn my back on short films any more. I will do one alone if I have the chance.''
Now with Home he returns to his roots _ the film was shot in Chiang Mai, where he was born, grew up and where he still returns to visit family. It was his first time shooting in his hometown.
AND NEW: Madiew, below, introduces young actors Juthawut Pattarakumphol and Kittisak Patomburana, below left, in his latest movie.
The film is also special to him because part of the plot was drawn from his memories of he and his friends studying at Montfort College and the good and bad times they spent there before going their separate ways to pursue their dreams.
But ultimately, he says, Home is a film about growing up _ a bridge, he says, between his idealistic twenties and his more firm-footed thirties.
''When you're in your twenties, you have to find what you can do best and pursue that. When you're in thirties, you should have your own assets like a house, a car and your own business.
''Once you have a clear plan of where you want to go and what you want to be, you can stay focused and won't be lost. And you will still have time to enjoy other things in life along the way.''
Madiew usually contemplates taking a one-month break after he's wrapped a film. But he always feels a push to move forward, a desire never to squander time.
''We are all born with time, but what makes one person different from another is the way we manage it. For me, it's valuable,'' he says.
''I don't sit around waiting for success to come. If I did that, it never would.''
