Nithiwat Tharatorn stood beside the poster of his film Kidthung Wittaya (Teacher's Diary). He smiled broadly. The reason was not just that he was in front of the cameras, but also because he was glad that his romantic comedy film, which came out in Thailand last year, was selected as the opening movie for the first Thai Film Festival at the theatre of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) in London.
The festival, which took place last month, showcased seven Thai films under the "Totally Thai" campaign initiated by the Ministry of Culture and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports and the private sector.
The film festival was the second event in the project. The first was the khon performance at Royal Albert Hall, also last month, and the third event will be "Thailand Eye" contemporary art to be exhibited in November and December at the Saatchi Gallery in London.
"It is a great honour for me that Teacher's Diary was selected," said Nithiwat. "I am delighted that my work can represent Thai culture and be presented to a foreign audience in London."
How does this movie represent Thai culture?
The movie talks about one of the problems in Thai education, which is it may not reach out to students in remote areas. However, there is a devoted teacher who is willing to work for the better education of children. This is real and this is the charm of Thai people. At least, I hope that foreigners who watch the movie understand our way of thinking and it leads them to be interested in Thailand and our culture.
How do you usually come up with the plots?
My movies always tell stories that I am impressed with. This movie was inspired by two true stories. One is about a male teacher who has taught a small group of students in a raft school in Lamphun. Another story is the romantic tale of a friend of one of my team who started to work in a new company and found something in the drawer of his desk. He decided to look for the owner. They later fell in love and finally got married.
Please update us about the Teacher's Diary movie remake.
The movie will be remade in Chinese by co-producers from Korea, Malaysia and China. The director will be Korean and the movie will be shot in China. I think they are impressed with the story of students and teachers and also the angle that leads to the question of whether two people can fall in love without having seen each other before.
Have you ever thought about making movies for an international audience?
I have never thought about that before. Usually, I make movies for a Thai audience because I know what Thai people like. I think it is like what Korean directors do; I think their first target is their own people. But after we — Thai people — have watched some of their films, we like them and keep watching the Korean movies. Today the movies from GTH [the film studio he works for] can be sold to many countries in Southeast Asia and some are even screened in Taiwanese cinemas. Teacher's Diary has been released in 10 countries.
What kind of movie have you wanted to do, but not yet had the chance?
Oh! There are a lot, such as suspense or horror movies. I think it depends on content. In my opinion, a horror movie does not have to tell the story of scary ghosts. It can be a drama, but with a horror edge, like Ladda Land. The romantic story may be told through the style of action or terror. When I find material that I like, I will figure out how to tell the story the way I think best fits the content.
How do you measure your success?
There are many layers of success. When I was young, I didn't know how to produce a film. Later, when I could do one movie, I call that success. When I make a film people like, I also count it as a success. I think movies can offer things much more than just being entertaining, like Teacher's Diary. Some of those who watched the movie told me that they wanted to be good teachers like in the film, while many said the movie inspired them to do their best. I think it's really a positive outcome.
When did you know you wanted to be a film director?
I liked watching movies when I was young. One day during the time I studied at the Faculty of Communication Arts at Chulalongkorn University, I had the chance to help senior students who produced a short movie. I was thrilled when I saw the movie. It inspired me to think that when I have something to tell, I'd like to tell it through films.
Who is your role model?
My idol is Jira Maligool [Thai film director, screenwriter and producer], who taught me many things about how to make a film. He's like my teacher, my older brother and my hero.
What are your suggestions to young people who want to be a successful film director?
First, they need to be a good observer, thinker and should always take notes. The more raw materials they have, the richer story they can tell. Last but not least, those who want to make a movie should look at things with a new angle so they can present it in their own style.
