Pimpaka Towira
Encyclopedia
Pimpaka Towira is a Thai
independent
film director
, screenwriter
and film producer
. Her films include One Night Husband
and The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong
.
. After graduating, she worked on one film production, but, in her words, "found it disappointing and dropped out". She went to work as a film critic and writer for The Nation
newspaper in Bangkok
, and was programming director for 2001 Bangkok Film Festival, which was sponsored by The Nation.
She also made experimental short films. Among her early works was a short called Mae Nak (1997), a deconstruction of the Mae Nak Phra Khanong ghost legend.
Her feature film debut came in 2003 with One Night Husband
, a romantic-thriller film that she co-wrote with Prabda Yoon
and Laddawan Ratanadilokchai. Co-produced by Mingmongkol Sonakul
, the film starred Nicole Theriault
and Siriyakorn Pukkavesh
. It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
, and was screened at several other film festivals.
In 2005, Pimpaka was featured in Worldly Desires, portraying a film director in a short film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
. The film was commissioned as part of the Digital Short Films by Three Directors project of the Jeonju International Film Festival
.
Meanwhile, Pimpaka had started on her next feature, a documentary on Supinya Klangnarong
, profiling the Thai media activist and her legal fight against defamation lawsuits brought against her by the Shin Corporation
, at the time owned by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
. Filmed over the course of nearly three years, The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong covers the political scene in Thailand in the last days of the Thaksin administration, the controversial sale of his family's assets to Singapore's Temasek Holdings, demonstrations against Thaksin, the 2006 Thai coup d'état and the post-coup atmosphere.
The film premiered in September 2007 during the Digital Forum in Bangkok.
Also in 2007, she directed a series of short films for the Free Thai Cinema Movement, which featured interviews with Thai film directors and artists opposed to censorship of films by the government
.
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. Her films include One Night Husband
One Night Husband
One Night Husband is a 2003 Thai thriller film directed by Pimpaka Towira and co-written by Pimpaka and Prabda Yoon. It was the debut feature film for Pimpaka, an independent film director and one of the few female directors working in the Thai film industry...
and The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong
Supinya Klangnarong
Supinya Klangnarong is a Thai media rights advocate and current vice-chair of the . A graduate of Chulalongkorn University, she holds a BA from the Faculty of Communication Arts, a MA from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Thammasat University and a MA in Communication Policy...
.
Career
Pimpaka Towira studied film at Thammasat UniversityThammasat University
Thammasat University , or in brief TU , is Thailand's second oldest university. Officially established on 27 June 1934, the university was originally named by founder Pridi Banomyong, University of Moral Science and Politics , reflecting the political fervor of the time...
. After graduating, she worked on one film production, but, in her words, "found it disappointing and dropped out". She went to work as a film critic and writer for The Nation
The Nation (Thailand)
The Nation is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper founded in 1971 and published in Bangkok, Thailand, and is owned by the Nation Multimedia Group.The Nation is a member of the Asia News Network...
newspaper in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, and was programming director for 2001 Bangkok Film Festival, which was sponsored by The Nation.
She also made experimental short films. Among her early works was a short called Mae Nak (1997), a deconstruction of the Mae Nak Phra Khanong ghost legend.
Her feature film debut came in 2003 with One Night Husband
One Night Husband
One Night Husband is a 2003 Thai thriller film directed by Pimpaka Towira and co-written by Pimpaka and Prabda Yoon. It was the debut feature film for Pimpaka, an independent film director and one of the few female directors working in the Thai film industry...
, a romantic-thriller film that she co-wrote with Prabda Yoon
Prabda Yoon
Prabda Yoon is a Thai writer, novelist, artist, graphic designer, magazine editor, screenwriter and translator. He is the son of Nation Multimedia Group executive and editor Suthichai Yoon....
and Laddawan Ratanadilokchai. Co-produced by Mingmongkol Sonakul
Mingmongkol Sonakul
Mom Luang Mingmongkol Sonakul is a Thai film producer and independent film director. As the head of her own production company, Dedicate Ltd., she has produced films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul ; Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, including Invisible Waves; Pimpaka Towira's One Night Husband and The Tin Mine by...
, the film starred Nicole Theriault
Nicole Theriault
Nicole Theriault , known as Nikki, is a Thai singer who became popular with her hit albums Ka-Po-Lo Club and Funny Lady.- Biography :Born in California, Nicole Theriault is the daughter of an American father and a Thai mother. Her father is a radio announcer, her mother a business woman...
and Siriyakorn Pukkavesh
Siriyakorn Pukkavesh
Siriyakorn Pukkavesa is a Thai actress, model, presenter, designer and magazine publisher. She is best known by her nickname, Oom ....
. It premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, and was screened at several other film festivals.
In 2005, Pimpaka was featured in Worldly Desires, portraying a film director in a short film by Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady, which won a jury prize at the 2004...
. The film was commissioned as part of the Digital Short Films by Three Directors project of the Jeonju International Film Festival
Jeonju International Film Festival
The Jeonju International Film Festival has been held annually since 2000 in Jeonju, South Korea, focusing on digital, independent and art films.-2000:*April 28-May 4: 184 films from 21 countries...
.
Meanwhile, Pimpaka had started on her next feature, a documentary on Supinya Klangnarong
Supinya Klangnarong
Supinya Klangnarong is a Thai media rights advocate and current vice-chair of the . A graduate of Chulalongkorn University, she holds a BA from the Faculty of Communication Arts, a MA from the Faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication at Thammasat University and a MA in Communication Policy...
, profiling the Thai media activist and her legal fight against defamation lawsuits brought against her by the Shin Corporation
Shin Corporation
Shin Corporation is one of the largest conglomerates in Thailand.- History :It was founded in 1983 as Shinawatra Computer by Thaksin Shinawatra, former Prime Minister of Thailand, and took on its current name in 1999, by using the first four letters of his last name...
, at the time owned by the family of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra
Thaksin Shinawatra is a Thai businessman and politician, who was Prime Minister of Thailand from 2001 to 2006, when he was overthrown in a military coup....
. Filmed over the course of nearly three years, The Truth Be Told: The Cases Against Supinya Klangnarong covers the political scene in Thailand in the last days of the Thaksin administration, the controversial sale of his family's assets to Singapore's Temasek Holdings, demonstrations against Thaksin, the 2006 Thai coup d'état and the post-coup atmosphere.
The film premiered in September 2007 during the Digital Forum in Bangkok.
Also in 2007, she directed a series of short films for the Free Thai Cinema Movement, which featured interviews with Thai film directors and artists opposed to censorship of films by the government
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
.