ACF
Asian Cinema Fund
Post-Production Fund
2023 Post-Production Fund
LIST Solids by the Seashore
| Category | Asian Project |
|---|---|
| Project | Solids by the Seashore |
| Director | Patiparn BOONTARIG |
| Country | Thailand |
| Director's Profile |
Patiparn Boontarig graduated in film from Thammasat University, Bangkok. His short films have screened at Jogja-NETPAC Asian Film Festival, Joutomaa Festival in Finland, and others. He has attended international film workshops including Busan Asian Film Academy 2014, NAFF Fantastic Film School 2015, and MOFILM Academy for Southeast Asian Filmmakers, among others. He was 1st assistant director on Manta Ray (Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, 2018), Horizons Award for Best Film winner at Venice Film Festival 2018; and Anatomy of Time (Jakrawal Nilthamrong, 2021), Horizons Award for Best Film nominee at Venice Film Festival 2021. His first feature project, Solids by the Seashore, participated at SGIFF Southeast Asian Film Lab 2016, Talents Tokyo 2018, Luang Prabang Talent Lab 2018 and FLY Film Lab 2019. |
- Synopsis
-
In a Southern Thai town, on a once-sandy beach eroded by high tides and now replaced by an artificial sea wall made of stone, two young women meet. Shati is a local Muslim woman from a conservative family. Fon is an activist-turned-visual-artist, in town for the opening of her new art exhibition. The more deeply they get to know one another, the bigger becomes Shati’s internal conflict with her traditional roots, which forbid same-sex relationships. Caught between fear and desire, she is reminded of old, cautionary tales from her childhood told by her late and beloved grandmother.
In a pivotal moment for Shati, during Fon’s last night in town, the two of them reunite and consummate their relationship for the first time. Upon waking, strange, other-worldly occurrences from the tales of Shati’s grandmother gradually begin to happen. Meteorites fall from the sky. Sea levels rise. Menacing dark shadows lurk at every turn. Different worlds are colliding. A storm is brewing. Whether or not this is all a dream, Shati faces a choice to forge a path for herself, and come to terms with who she is.
- Director's Note
-
After film school, I spent a lot of time in the south making documentaries about the social and environmental effects from the coastal erosion; a major problem in the region. The local government spends huge tax money constructing artificial seawalls that permanently destroyed the city coastline and ended up causing even more erosion. To me, it’s like mankind’s ultimate failure at fighting against nature and trying to control the uncontrollable.
In the south I also have a lot of local artist friends. Many of them are LGBT muslims. Despite Thailand’s liberal image to touriss, its LGBT rights ? especially in the south ? are shockingly limited. An invisible line is constantly drawn, and discrimination is real and apparent. One of my good friend, a young female poet, became an inspiration for my main character.
My main goal is for the film to be a pure reflection about two humans in a relationship, free from any labels. And for its message to be resonant loud and clear without calling into question the gender or religion of the person making it. I hope, as in my character Shati’s trajectory, my film can play its part in tearing down artificial walls and opening eyes.