Thailand Film Office E

FILM THAILAND
AUTUMN 2015
IN
LOCATION REPORT – “KICKBOXER: VENGEANCE”
THAILAND ANNOUNCES INCENTIVE PROGRAM
THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF NORTHERN THAILAND
BEAUTY AND THE BEACH - THAILAND
(New Zealand)
Director of the Thailand Film Office, Ubolwan Sucharitakul
welcomed the news.
Go Thai Film Co., Ltd.
FEATURE FILMS
FROM VEGAS TO MACAU 3
(China)
"2015 is turning out to be an excellent year for Thailand's
international film production services industry. We have
seen a record number of international productions choose
Thailand as a shooting location, and have demonstrated
once again that Thailand can accommodate both highbudget and low-budget films efficiently and economically.
NEWS FROM THAILAND
THAILAND INTERNATIONAL
FILM DESTINATION FESTIVAL
TO RETURN IN 2016
The Thailand Film Office recently announced
that the Thailand International Film Destination Festival will return in 2016.
The festival is the only film festival in the world
dedicated to celebrating the work of the local
production services industry. Films screened in
the festival must have involved filming in
Thailand.
2016 will be an important year for the
Thailand Film Office. We hope to build on the
success of 2015, which is on target to show a
record number of incoming productions. We
will be preparing for the launch of Thailand's
first incentive program in 2017, and the
Thailand International Film Destination
Festival will provide a perfect launchpad to
our year's activities.
Prompt Film Co., Ltd.
DON'T LET ME GO
(China)
Prompt Film Co., Ltd.
Productions from the USA have benefited from a strong US
Dollar, which has reduced the costs of shooting in Thailand.
The film industry in China continues to grow, and we have
seen a number of Chinese films come to Thailand in the
past year. We expect this to increase.
OPERATION MEKONG
(Hong Kong)
Ennoble Film Production Co., Ltd.
PRODUCTION A
The approval of the cabinet for an incentive program gives
us confidence that Thailand's production services industry
can expand further, and look forward to even greater
success.
(India)
Indo Bangkok Film Co., Ltd
To add your production here in future editions, please send details to:
paul@films.in.th
We have always been proud that we have been able to
maintain a thriving production services industry in
Thailand, even when many other countries were offering
substantial incentives.
Productions have chosen Thailand because the fundamental skills, infrastructure and value that Thailand can offer
have outweighed the benefits of incentives that other
countries have been able to offer.
However, we also recognise that in the investment
structure of international productions, incentives can be a
crucial element in a film's finances. By not offering a
competitive incentive, Thailand has lost productions to
other countries.
‘Film In Thailand’ is published by the Thailand Film Office to promote
and support Thailand as an international film destination.
Edited by Paul Spurrier
Designed by Jannik Lofdahl
To subscribe to ‘Film In Thailand’, or to submit articles for inclusion,
please contact paul@films.in.th
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
2
For information or advice on filming in Thailand, contact:
Thailand Film Office, Department of Tourism
Ministry of Tourism and Sports
Rama 1 Road, Bangkok 10330 Thailand
Tel. 66-2219-4010-7 Ext. 462-463, 634 , 66-2216-6907 Fax. 66-2216-6656
www.thailandfilmoffice.org E-mail: film@thailandfilmoffice.org
Many studies have shown that the economic benefits to
countries of hosting a film production outweigh the costs of
offering incentives.
At the Thailand Film Office, we are delighted that the
cabinet has approved an incentive program.
Incentives become part of the financial structure of a film,
and are often used to secure loans. Therefore, it is vital that
an incentive program is clear, transparent, and trusted by
financial institutions. For this reason, the structure and
detail of the incentive is extremely important, and is being
drafted in consultation with production experts and
members of the local industry. We hope to announce the
final formula, percentages, caps and criteria within the next
few months."
Also returning as a part of TIFDF2016 is the
Amazing Thailand Film Challenge. Selected on
the basis of project submissions, young
film-makers from all over the world are invited
to Thailand to make a short film in seven days
in different regions across the Kingdom. They
are provided with flights, accommodation, local
support, and a budget.
Ubolwan Sucharitakul, director of the Thailand
Film Office explained the value of the festival:
“The festival has a number of aims. First and
foremost it promotes Thailand as a film
destination. Through the film screenings, we
showcase the high level of skill and production
value that can be found in Thailand. Through
the Amazing Thailand Film Challenge we
explore how the different regions of Thailand
offer a diversity of locations, cultures and
creative inspiration.
THE STARS ARE
OUT IN THAILAND.
Wherever we can, we report on the latest
films shooting in Thailand. However,
sometimes productions avoid publicity
during the production stage. Recently,
Thailand has been visited by a number of
stars working on new films, including
Matthew McConaughey, Blake Lively,
and Steven Seagal.
In past years, the festival has successfully
explored the diversity of productions which
benefit from shooting in Thailand. The
program has included both commercial and
art-house films, from many different
countries, and we have been fortunate that
many of the international directors and stars
have returned to Thailand to screen their
films and to be re-united with the teams that
helped realize their vision. Feedback forms
last year showed an audience satisfaction
rating of over 98%. We look forward to an
exciting and inspiring film program in 2016.
The film students of today are tomorrow's
film-makers. We are extremely proud of the
Amazing Thailand Film Challenge. I do not
believe there is any short film competition in
the world that offers young film-makers such
an exciting, inspirational, and memorable
experience. Last year, seventy-two young
film-makers from 15 countries were selected
for the competition. There was a very high
level of quality in the films produced in the
challenge, and we hope that these films are
not only a great showcase of Thailand's
locations and rich culture, but also a valuable
part of the film-makers' portfolios.
The Awards Ceremony is a valuable component of the festival, and offers a chance to
show appreciation for the talents and skills of
Thailand's production services industry,
which are a vital part of what attracts
international productions.
Also in 2016, we plan to increase the number
of invited international industry guests. The
festival offers a great opportunity to attract
producers, location executives and industry
decision-makers, and to show them the
world-class facilities and infrastructure that
are available in Thailand.
The Thailand International Film Destination
Festival has grown and evolved in the last
three years, and has become a key event in
the annual calendar for the local production
services industry. We are proud to announce
its return in 2016.”
'NO ESCAPE'
GETS WIDE
INTERNATIONAL
RELEASE
We previously reported from the set
in Chiang Mai, where director John
Erick Dowdle had gathered a stellar
cast of Owen Wilson, Lake Bell and
Pierce Brosnan for his story of a
family caught in Southeast Asia in
the middle of a coup.
At that point it was titled 'The Coup'.
Now it has been retitled 'No Escape'
and is being released internationally
from September 2015. There's also an
exciting, high-tension trailer out on
the web.
3
TELEVISION PROGRAMMES
THE THAILAND FILM
OFFICE IS LOOKING
FORWARD TO THAILAND'S
FIRST INTERNATIONAL
PRODUCTION INCENTIVE
PROGRAM.
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
RECENT PRODUCTIONS
IN THAILAND
NEWS FROM THAILAND
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
NEWS FROM THAILAND
Recently she has concentrated her efforts on
bringing an incentive program to Thailand. It
as a great testament to her efforts, persistence
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
4
'TRAFFICKER' BRINGS
AWARD TO THAILAND.
It's been a great month for Charles Salmon.
At the 2014 Thailand International Film
Destination Festival we were delighted to
screen an early edit of 'Trafficker' directed by
Larry Smith, known for his work as a
Director of Photography for directors
including Kubrick and Nicolas Winding-Refn.
Now completed, the film was invited to the
Madrid International Film Festival, where it
was nominated for eight awards, and won the
award for Best Producer, shared by Charles
Salmon and Larry Smith. In his acceptance
speech, Charles was keen to encourage the
use of Thailand not just as a backdrop for
production, but as a total base for production
and post-production. “It is very cost effective
while still delivering the best international
standards. I’m proud that ‘Trafficker’ has
proven this by receiving the Best Producer of
a Feature Film award”.
Iain Smith OBE, the legendary British
producer, who has produced such films as
'Seven Years in Tibet', 'The Fifth Element',
'Wanted', 'Children of Men', and 'Mad Max:
Fury Road' pays tribute to Sasisupa.
The sudden and untimely death of my
'goddaughter' Khun Orr Sasisupa Sungvaribud
will leave a great emptiness in many lives, not
least my own.
I first met Orr when she and her friend Pak
Chaisana came to work on our production of
"The Killing Fields" back in the early 80s. From
the outset Orr and Pak distinguished themselves
by their enthusiasm to help and willingness to
learn from us pushy 'farang' filmmakers. I took
to them immediately, and always kept an eye out,
to make sure they were not only working hard
but enjoying it at the same time. It wasn't long
before they declared that I was their 'godfather',
their protector/spirit guide, and they were
therefore my 'goddaughters'. And so it has
remained to this day.
Orr, very wisely, decided she had a political/
industrial role to play in bringing improvement and
growth to the Thai film industry. At considerable
personal expense and in spite of some resistance
she selflessly gave of her time and energy for the
greater good. Orr had the ability to drive forward
and not be put off by more timid or mischievous
opinions. She also was not afraid to enlist my
support, and other international producers, when
necessary in service of the cause of building up
Thailand's film infrastructure and production
service industry.
The tragic becalming of this whirlpool of positive
energy will be felt in many quarters, and it must be
devoutly hoped that others will take up the causes
she cared for so passionately. On a more personal
note her loss is emotionally devastating and leaves
me, and many others, feeling bereft. May she rest
in eternal peace, and may her work be not
forgotten but continue as she would have wished.
There are a number of different industry
stories about how Menahem Golan from
Cannon Films met Jean-Claude Van Damme.
One of the stories tells how Golan heard that
Van Damme was working on the big-budget
film 'Predator', and cast Van Damme, hoping
to benefit from the fame that Van Damme
would doubtless have after 'Predator' came
out. He didn't realize that Van Damme was
playing the alien, and appeared inside an
alien body suit, and his face would never
be seen.
Another story has Van Damme working as a
waiter in a restaurant, and upon seeing Golan
at a table performed an impressive roundhouse kick, millimetres from Golan's head,
without spilling a drop from the soup-bowl
he was carrying.
Whatever the truth may be, Van Damme
became Cannon's new action star. 'Bloodsport'
and 'Cyborg', shot on minimal budgets were
moderately successful, but it was 'Kickboxer' in
1989 that made Van Damme a household
name. Cannon were never generous with their
budgets, but for 'Kickboxer' they raised the
budget to around $3m and were able to gain
production value by shooting in Thailand.
“Kickboxer' was released at 973 screens across
America and across the world, becoming one
of Cannon's most successful films.
make it relevant to a whole new generation
of action film fans.
One of the elements of the original film that
no-one wanted to change was the Thailand
setting. “Film in Thailand” visited the set to
see how important Thailand was to the
production, and how some of the stars were
enjoying their time here.
Whilst reviews were mixed, fans loved its
action scenes, and it was clear that Van
Damme had not only the skills but also the
charisma to become a big action star.
Now, 'Kickboxer' is coming back. A new film,
tentatively titled 'Kickboxer: Vengeance' shot
scenes in the US earlier this year, and recently
moved to Thailand. Starring Alain Moussi,
Georges St-Pierre, Dave Bautista, and
Jean-Claude Van Damme himself, director
Dimitri Logothetis has updated the story to
'STRIKE BACK' PREMIERES
ON INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION
The international hit series 'Strike Back' premieres this month. An international
co-production between HBO, Cinemax and Sky One, it offers the pace and action of a
big-screen movie in a television series. Now in its fifth season, the series gained a whole
new level of exotic production value by shooting in Thailand. Local production services
were supplied by Thai Occidental Production. Line Producer Charles Salmon is proud of
his team's contribution to the series. “It was wonderful that this sort of production decided
to shoot in Thailand. It’s a very action driven shoot that needs professionalism, good
planning and health and safety awareness to deliver on time and without incident.
Not only does it prove that Thailand can handle this scale of filming on a tight schedule.
It’s also a great entertaining way to showcase Bangkok and Krabi locations which go on
to promote interest in Thailand and Thai tourism.”
5
Through her company The 6th Element, she
supported a wide range of productions,
including big-budget feature films such as
'Stealth', but always found time for smaller films
with new directors, like 'The Lazarus Papers', as
well as countless international television
commercials and programmes. Throughout this
time, Sasisupa worked tirelessly to support
Thailand's production services industry, as
Secretary to the Thai Producer Association,
President of the Film Production Services
Association, and as a Committee Member of the
National Audio Visual Film Board.
THE 'KICKBOXER'
RETURNS TO
THAILAND
and foresight that we can announce in this
issue of 'Film In Thailand', that the scheme
she dreamed about for many years will soon
come to existence.
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
It is with deep regret and sadness that we
announce the passing away of Sasisupa
Sungvaribud, known to all as Khun Orr.
Sasisupa gained her experience as a production
co-ordinator working on some of the biggest
and most influential productions to ever visit
Thailand, including 'The Killing Fields', 'Good
Morning Vietnam', 'Casualties of War', and 'Air
America'. She worked on a number of Thai
films and television series, but was always in
great demand working on international
productions. Her English language skills had
been perfected during her time at the Royal
College of Art in London, and her ability to
organise complex situations and her extensive
local Thai knowledge soon brought her to a
position as one of the most respected production co-ordinators in Thailand.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
GARY WOOD
GEORGES ST-PIERRE
BRINGING 'KICKBOXER' BACK TO THAILAND
BRINGING ACTION FROM THE CAGE ONTO THE SCREEN
Gary Wood has been an
actor since childhood. If
you ever spent any time at
all watching television, you
will have seen him in hit
television series including
'Charlie's Angels', 'Quincy',
'Starsky and Hutch',
'Hill Street Blues' and
many others.
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
Gary had worked as an actor with director
Dimitri Logothetis on the television series 'Air
America', and when Dimitri was preparing
'Kickboxer', he remembered that Gary was
now based in Thailand.
“Dimitri rang me up and asked me if I'd
come on board as a producer and help them
to shoot in Thailand. The interiors were
shot in the USA, but what the film needed
was a big cinematic look, and we've found
that in Thailand. The locations look
fantastic. We've got an unbelievable group
of people. We've got a cast that includes
world champion fighters. The Thai crew,
Gary feels the choice of production services
company was crucial to the success of the
shoot.
“When I met P'Air, I could see that she was
the real deal. The more I got to know her, the
more impressed I was. She's brought together
a terrific crew. We are using a Thai production designer. This guy shouldn't be staying in
a hotel. He should be kept in a vault. Within
two days of reading the script and meeting
with Dimitri, he had a set of sketches that
were fantastic. He's adapted real locations and
made them look incredible.”
With declining DVD revenues, piracy issues
and strong competition for theatrical release
from the major studios, budgets for independent feature films are constantly being
squeezed. Gary believes that productions can
benefit from the high production values and
comparatively low costs that Thailand offers.
“You get way more bang for your buck here.
And the efficiency of the crew keeps you
on schedule. The Thai crews have a great
attitude. It feels to me like it was when I was
a young actor. Back then in Hollywood
everyone was thrilled to be there. Everyone
pulled together. That kind of enthusiasm and
passion is still alive here.”
Gary is confident that the film will please both
fans of the original, and gain a whole new
generation of fans.
“We think we've been true to the original, but
also made it relevant to a modern audience.
And Jean-Claude is back. We're blessed. The
fans of the original are clearly interested in the
film, but the presence of the UFC stars will
bring a whole new following. More importantly than that, the film works. And I hope it will
build interest in filming in Thailand.”
Georges St-Pierre was born
and raised in Quebec. At age
seven he learned karate to
defend himself against a
school bully. By the age of
twenty-one he had a black
belt. By twenty-five he was
Welterweight champion of
the UFC.
creating a scenario and repeating it until
your actions are instinctive. Acting is the
same. Just as I had to put in the time to
develop my fighting skills, I am putting in
the time to learn acting skills.”
Appearing in a film alongside Jean-Claude
Van Damme is a thrill for Georges.
“It's like being a kid again. I remember seeing
'Kickboxer' as a kid, and it had a huge influence
on me. Now I'm here, playing a role in it.”
Sometimes remakes fail to capture the
originality and atmosphere of the original,
but Georges is confident that the new
'Kickboxer' won't disappoint.
“I think it's a perfect time for a remake. The
world has changed. We can bring it up to date.
The original was awesome, and the new film
will be just as great! And filming in Thailand
will really add something important to the
movie. It's a film about Muay Thai. Of course we
had to come to Thailand. It's the real thing!”
But having successfully defended his title in
2013, he announced that he was taking time
off. In 2014, he took on the role of a villain in
'Captain America', and now has an important
role in 'Kickboxer'.
Georges was pleased to have the chance
to return to Thailand. As part of his
MMA training, he studied Muay Thai
in Phuket.
“I love Muay Thai. It's more than just a
martial art. It's a way of living. It reflects
the true spirit of the Thai people. People
sometimes misunderstand that it's about
violence. It's not. It's about discipline. A
competition fight is a way of perfecting
each other's skills.”
Thai locations provide a perfect backdrop
to the action
It is that same discipline and dedication that
Georges brings to his acting career.
“When you fight, you have to have the
dedication to practice and repeat the same
moves over and over again. You're often
7
6
“Within the last decade, I began to notice that
all my fellow actors in Los Angeles seemed to
be universally unhappy. It's a young person's
industry, and unless you're one of the very
lucky few, you find that as you age, you're no
longer at the centre of the industry. I didn't
want to end up sitting around a table in Hollywood talking about the old days. I wanted a
new third act. I had been to Thailand back in
the eighties and had always remembered the
experience. So I felt the pull. But in order not
to go crazy, I needed something to do. So,
along with my friend Tommy Tang, we
decided to bring projects to Thailand. We
believe that Thailand is a magnificent
tapestry against which to set films. We now
have half a dozen projects which we are keen
to film in Thailand.”
the technicians, they're second to none. I've
worked all over the world. I am completely
and pleasantly surprised. I don't remember
ever working on anything where there was
a group of people that was so in sync as we
have here.”
Georges St-Pierre on the set of Kickboxer
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
There came a point in Gary Wood's life when
a successful acting career wasn't enough.
Dimitri Logothetis directs a scene
with Jean-Claude Van Damme
and Georges St Pierre
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
MUTITA NA SONGKLA
ALAIN MOUSSI
“I was ten years old when I saw it. I loved it. I
would never have believed that 26 years later,
I'd be playing the role originally created by
Jean-Claude, my idol. It's surreal to me. It's a
dream. And I get to work with Jean-Claude.
It's amazing. He's been so generous with his
time. He's been giving a lot of input, and
really helping with our performance. I'm
honoured and thankful.”
“Back then, I was just a Production Assistant.
It was an incredibly exciting experience to work
on a big Hollywood film. You have to remember
that we didn't have internet, mobiles, computers,
digital rushes, and all the means of communication that we now take for granted. It was a
massive task. At that time, there were almost no
Thai crews skilled in international production.
So there were over 200 international crew
members flown in. The role of the Thai team
members was primarily to translate and
co-ordinate the local resources. But we were so
eager to learn from the experience, and it was
the start of the development of our film skills.”
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
8
P'Air has been at the core of a development
process that has seen Thai crews reach a truly
international level.
“It's so gratifying when I hear producers say
that they have filmed in other countries, but
that the Thai crews are the best. You have to
realise that we all learned our skills on the job.
There were no film schools in Thailand back
then, and very few people had the opportunity
to study overseas. So we had to learn everything by watching and learning from the
international crews. Now, on many productions,
we're seeing that rather than bring in 200
people, they can bring less than ten. Previously
we acted as support to international department
heads, but now we can fill core creative
positions. We have skilled costume designers,
production designers and DOPs totally capable
of working to an international level.”
Thai crews have become an important resource
throughout the region.
“Even when productions shoot in other
countries in the region, very often they fill
key crew positions from Thailand. So why
not just film here. Many countries around
the world now offer incentives, and of course
producers take advantage of those incentives. But we're now seeing a lot of producers
come back to Thailand. Ultimately, it often
works out cheaper here, and I think they
often miss the sense of fun, friendliness
and the co-operative nature of the Thai
teams, which makes even a tough shoot
so much easier.”
On 'Kickboxer', the schedule is extremely
tight. Interior scenes were shot in the US,
and all the exteriors must be filmed in
Thailand in just thirteen days. Crews have
to work hard, not only dealing with long,
tough days, but also prepping for the next
day's work. P'Air has to ensure that her team
is up to the challenge.
“I suppose I am a sort of mother figure to the
Thai teams. I have to look after them, and
make sure that they are coping with the
pressure. If someone is having problems,
I have to make sure that they get the support
they need. Film shoots are always tough, but
if we work together as a team, we can not
only meet the challenge, but develop our
skills both personally and as a team. And of
course the most important thing is that
when we wrap, the producer is happy and
wants to come back to Thailand.”
P'Air is grateful for the help of the Thailand
Film Office.
“After the international 'Kickboxer' crew
arrived here, they saw that we have so many
locations that can enhance the production
values of the film. So they've decided to
reshoot a few scenes here that were orginally
shot in the US. A couple of nights ago, the
director wanted to add a scene to be shot the
next day in a crowded public street. Of course,
we needed permission for that, and had no
time. I put a late-night call through to the
mobile phone of Ubolwan, the director of the
Thailand Film Office, and she immediately
went to work to clear it for us. We got the
scene! Just as we have developed our skills
over the years, the Thailand Film Office has
adapted to deal with the particular creative
and immediate needs of a film production.
They also respect the creative process. Of
course one of their roles is to ensure that
Thailand is not portrayed in a way that is
unjustifiably negative. But they understand
that a film is a creative work that sometimes
needs to show both good and bad.”
Whilst P'Air has many happy memories of
her work on international films, her favourite
memory is still that of working on 'The
Deer Hunter'.
“We were all so young, and we were working
with Michael Cimino, who was incredibly
passionate and often demanding. But the film
ended up winning five Academy Awards. And
we were so proud that Thailand had played a
part. That's one of the reasons I still enjoy my
job – because the work we do on films can still
make me proud of Thailand and the skills of
the Thai people.”
Creating film fight scenes is of course
rather different from competition martial
arts. One must create the illusion of blows
connecting, without actually harming one's
fellow actors.
“I always enjoyed the performance side. I
competed in contact sports as well. But
because I was used to performance, I learned
control, and to understand distance. I trained
hours and hours every day to perfect the
timing, the distances and the reactions. And
you have to understand about camera angles
to make a fight look real.”
Before coming to Thailand to film 'Kickboxer',
Alain had already enjoyed Thai martial arts
films like 'Ong Bak'.
“I thought it was unreal. I loved the ferocity,
and the contact. It felt raw and real. So it was
great to be able to come here and work with
the Thai team. Our Thai stunt co-ordinator Jim
has put together some awesome scenes, which
have a feeling of reality. It's not just a display of
athleticism and acrobatics - I want the
audience to feel the pain. The Thai stunt teams
are just great! They put a lot of heart into
everything they do. They're extremely skilled.
I have only great things to say about them. On
action scenes, it's always about working
together as a group. Even though the scenes
revolve around me as the main actor, everyone
has to work together, to adjust our timings to
each other. We're working very fast, under
enormous pressure. We sometimes have ten
minutes to choreograph a scene. And unless
everyone in the team is working together and
synchronising, it could be unsafe.”
Alain hopes that he can return to Thailand.
“It's amazing. I'd love to find a script for
another film set here, just so I can come back.
It's not just the stunts. I look at the crew, and
the way everyone works. Not only are they
doing their job well, they're loving their job.
They're enthusiastic, they're smiling, and
we're rolling quick! We're getting more than
we ever anticipated by filming here. And the
locations are just beautiful.”
SARA MALAKUL LANE
TAKING THE JOURNEY TO HOLLYWOOD
Actress Sara was born in America, with a
Thai mother and English father. Raised in
Thailand, she began her acting career aged
twelve, and became famous for her roles in
popular Thai soap operas.
When the Steven Seagal film 'Belly of the
Beast' shot in Thailand, Sara was given her
first feature film role. She moved to Hollywood
five years ago to pursue her international
acting career, but has returned to Thailand to
play the female lead in 'Kickboxer'.
“Working on the Thai television dramas
was a great experience, and of course they're
incredibly popular. But eventually, I felt
that I'd gone as far as I could within the
world of Thai television, and it was time for
a new challenge. I have an American
passport, so I decided to give it a shot. Of
course, it's never easy to make it as an actor
in Hollywood, but it's been fun, and I'm glad
I made the move.”
Having had experience on film sets both in
Hollywood and Thailand, Sara feels that Thailand has a lot to offer.
“The Thai teams are amazing. I'm really proud
to be half-Thai and to see how well this team
operates. It's one of the best crews I've worked
with. These guys have worked on big Hollywood productions. They're totally professional.
In 'Kickboxer', Sara plays a cop sent to
investigate the world of underground fights.
But then she falls in love with one of the
fighters, and struggles to perform her duties.
Her role doesn't call for her to get involved in
the fights, but she has great admiration for
her action co-stars.
“They're amazing. I'm a huge fan of GSP
(Georges St Pierre) . I went to see him fight in
Minnesota five or six years ago. And Alain is
incredible. They're all doing their own stunts.
They're so talented.”
9
Mutita, known to everyone
as P' Air, has worked in the
Thai film industry for over
thirty years. Her first
production was 'The Deer
Hunter', and she has seen
the skills and capabilities of
the Thai teams develop
enormously.
Alain was born in Gabon, Africa, to a French
Canadian mother and a Lebanese father. As a
child, he was a fan of martial arts movies, and
trained in Jiu-jitsu and kick-boxing. He
competed internationally, and started his own
martial arts academy. However, his love of
martial arts films led him to stunt work, and
he doubled for stars in fight scenes in films
including 'Pacific Rim', 'White House Down',
and 'Pompeii'. Now starring in the remake of
'Kickboxer', he found himself recreating a role
originally played by Jean-Claude Van Damme,
his childhood hero.
Sara was grateful for the opportunity to come
back to Thailand.
“My family's here. I do miss Thailand. I miss
the industry. There is a wonderful sense of
fun on a set in Thailand that I miss sometimes. Thai teams prove that you can be
totally professional, while at the same time
making it a fun experience.”
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
BRINGING THE BEST OF THAILAND TO 'KICKBOXER'
ON RECREATING A CLASSIC ACTION ROLE
LOCATION REPORT
THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF
NORTHERN THAILAND
The hub of northern
Thailand is Chiang Mai, the
fifth largest city in
Thailand. The international
airport services over thirty
flights a day to Bangkok,
and direct flights to Hong
Kong, Macau, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Singapore and
mainland China.
Picturesque rice terraces – this location in Bang Papongpieng in Chiang Mai
The extraordinary Wat Rong Khun, or 'White Temple' as it is often known – in Chiang Rai Province
11
With rolling hills of ricefields, vast mountainous
vistas, and lush jungle, the
north of Thailand offers
wonderful locations for
international films.
Surrounded by the tallest mountains in
Thailand, it offers a climate that is cooler
than the rest of Thailand, and evenings in
December and January can be cool.
The northern region is often considered to be
the birthplace of Thailand, and in the 13th
century was home to the powerful Lanna
and Sukhothai kingdoms.
Whilst modern classifications include the
upper-central regions as part of Northern
Thailand, traditionally northern Thailand
has comprised nine provinces.
Chiang Mai has played host to a number of
international film productions, most recently
'No Escape', starring Pierce Brosnan. As a
popular retreat for expats, it offers a strong
infrastructure, 5-star hotels, and good local
production services.
There are many beautiful waterfalls in Northern Thailand - this is Koh Luang waterfall in Lamphun province
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
Film in thailand / Autumn 2015
10
Sunrise at Phu Chi Fa, one of
many mountain regions which
are covered in a blanket of fog
early each morning