Cinema of Disobedience: Santikhiri Sonata

Originaltitel: Santikhiri Sonata

75 Min. | 2019

Sprache: OmeU | Originalsprache: thai

Regie: Thunska Pansittivorakul

This hybrid film was shot in an area called Santikhiri, which means ‘the Hill of Peace’, the name granted by the Kingdom of Thailand in 1978 in order to create a new image for this land. Located in the northernmost part of the country, the are is now a significant tourist destination due to its mix of cultures between Thai and Chinese, despite a CIA report in 1971 that the area was one of the biggest centers of heroin production in Southeast Asia. However, after General Prem’s government came to power in the 80s, everything – drugs, communism, corruption, human trafficking, and stateless persons – in this area was entirely suppressed to foster order and peace. But, in reality, can this place be as peaceful as its new name? Since that time, what has been its continued impact up to this very day and beyond? These are the questions that the film poses.

Director’s note
This film is a Sonata in three movements, indicating the present, past, and future. Forty years ago, when I was a kid, the TV was filled with propaganda, instilling in people’s minds that the military government protected the country from different threats, while simultaneously emphasizing political violence in foreign countries: the Gwangju Uprising in 1980 in South Korea, the 8888 Uprising in 1988 in Myanmar, and even the Tiananmen Square Protests of 1989 in China. Coverage of these was used to create the illusion that Thailand was a peaceful and developing country. However, forty years have now passed, and while other countries are developing rapidly, Thailand remains sluggish. The unwavering illusion and pride in the country’s status of never having been colonized have successfully shaped our blind nationalism. Just like Napoleon once said: “What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”
Doclisboa International Film Festival

2019 | Winner: City of Lisbon Award for Best International Competition Film