Thai film's director expects to stimulate controversy
TORONTO -- Monks with guns -- that's how Raymond Phathanavirangoon, Southeast Asian programmer at the Toronto International Film Festival, describes Phawat Panangkasiri's "In the Shadow of the Naga," a dramatic thriller he expects to generate contention here in September.
The Thai film, which portrays tercet criminals world Health Organization dress as monks to retrieve money they had buried below a tabernacle, is expected to pique devout Buddhists, Phathanavirangoon said of the world premiere.
"It's a commercial-grade film, merely it has monks that commit force and manipulation guns that they dot at the heads of people," he said.
Thai censors typically bar screenings of films that portray monks or the monarchy in a disrespectful manner.
As it released its Asian and Spanish-language titles, Toronto as well booked Japanese director Takeshi Kitano's "Achilles and the Tortoise" and Ryosuke Hashiguchi's "All Around Us" as well as "Machan," the debut feature of speech from "Full Monty" producer Uberto Pasolini.
Also Toronto-bound is Yu Lik-wai's Brazil-China co-production "Plastic City," a rare collaboration between Asian and South American partners that portrays Japanese immigrants scrambling to do occupation in the underbelly of Sao Paulo.
On the Spanish-language front, the festival also will give a high-profile Roy Thomson screening to Daniel Burman's "Empty Nest," an Argentinean-Spanish-Italian-French co-production that stars Cecilia Roth and Oscar Martinez.
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