Thunska Pansittivorakul
Thunska PANSITTIVORAKUL was born in Bangkok in 1973, but grew up in Padang Besar, a border town between Thailand and Malaysia. He graduated with a degree in Art Education from Chulalongkorn University. He won the Grand Prize award at the 4th Taiwan International Documentary Festival in 2004 for his documentary feature Happy Berry. In 2007, he received the Silpathorn Award from The Ministry of Culture’s Office of Contemporary Arts, which is awarded to one outstanding artist each year. The past honorees in the field of film include Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Pen-Ek Ratanaruang, Wisit Sasanatieng, among others.
His work has been screened at international film festivals including Rotterdam (IFFR), IDFA, Berlinale, DOK Leipzig, Sheffield, Era New Horizons, Visions du Réel, Torino, BAFICI, Busan, Taipei Golden Horse, DMZdocs. In 2019, his Santikhiri Sonata won the Grand Prize at DocLisboa, Portugal. In 2022, his Danse Macabre won a Merit Prize at Taiwan International Documentary Film Festival (TIDF). Most recently, Damnatio Memoriae was selected for Disobedience Archive at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia (Venice Biennale).
Filmography
Private Life (2000, short), …for Shiw Ping 28/12/97 (2000, short), Love Sickness (2000, short), Sigh (2001, short), Voodoo Girls (2002), Chemistry (2003, short), Mahusachan Krungtap/Unseen Bangkok (2004, short), Sawan sud uam/Happy Berry (2004, doc), Wan fah sua/After Shock (2005, short), Pleuy shi vit/Life Show (2005, short), Vous vous souviens de moi? (2005, short), Endless Story (2005, short), Sawan sud uam/Happy Berry (2004, doc), Happy Berry: Oops! I Did It Again (2005, short), Out of Control (2006, short), You Are Where I Belong To (2006, short), Middle-earth (2007, short), Love Is Our Destination (2007, short), ‘Action!’ (2008, short), Soak (2008, short), This Area Is Under Quarantine (2009, doc), Jutti/Reincarnate (2010, doc), Poo kor karn rai/The Terrorists (2011, doc), Nua dhamma chat/Supernatural (2014), sPACEtIME (2015, doc, co-dir), Soon-ya kal/Homogeneous, Empty Time (2017, doc, co-dir) I Was Young? Ignorant? Curious! (2017, doc), Homogeneous, Empty Time (2017), Santikhiri Sonata (2019), Avalon (2020), Danse Macabre (2021), Damnatio Memoriae (2023), Isan Odyssey (2025)
More info: Wikipedia, Thunska Pansittivorakul
Thunska Pansittivorakul at IFFR
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Isan Odyssey
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 80' | Thailand | International premiere
A journey in song and dance through the suppressed chapters of Thailand’s political history. -
After Shock
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 12' | Thailand | International premiere
Ode to the clouds and life. In Phuket after the tsunami, there are still attractive people to be found. Alongside those beautiful clouds of course.… -
Happy Berry
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 76' | Thailand | European premiere
Cheerful documentary portrait of what is cool and trendy in Bangkok, with the young owners of the very fashionable boutique Happy Berry. Cheeky. -
Life Show
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 10' | Thailand | -
Frank and personal small documentary. Interview with a sex star. At the end of the day, it comes down to what is in your pants. -
Homogeneous, Empty Time
Thunska Pansittivorakul, Harit Srikhao | 103' | Thailand | No premiere
What feeds nationalist ideologies? They always arise in ’empty time’, asserts this documentary on nationalism in Thailand. Various groups are observed, from military cadets to… -
Vous vous souviens de moi
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 14' | Thailand | European premiere
Far from Thailand. Far from his lover. Looking back at images of windswept French coast. Listening to a nostalgic chanson. Nominated for the Tiger Awards… -
This Area Is Under Quarantine
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 80' | Thailand | World premiere
It doesn’t look spectacular at first. Two boys each talk separately about their experiences. In the end also on the sexual level. In the end… -
Supernatural
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 106' | Thailand | World premiere
Science fiction about a future Thailand. Futuristic, experimental, homo-erotic and with elements of a political essay. With a richness of themes and impressions that wouldn’t… -
Reincarnate
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 73' | Thailand | World premiere
In separate sketches, Thunska Pansittivorakul shows the homosexual love between a teacher and pupil more explicitly than ever. Several cryptic scenes refer to the oppressive… -
Middle-Earth
Thunska Pansittivorakul | 8' | Thailand | European premiere
A white dream of a gay film maker. Two naked men on a white sofa. Yet it remains in the imagination.