‘Syndromes’ and Censorship
The saga of Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s struggle to get his film Syndromes and a Century shown in his home country of Thailand continues. Originally commissioned for Vienna’s New Crowned Hope festival celebrating the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Syndromes premiered at the 2006 Vienna Film Festival, but has yet to play in Thailand.
Thai officials insisted on cuts to four scenes containing “inappropriate images”: a monk playing a guitar, doctors drinking whiskey, doctors kissing and two monks playing with a radio controlled toy. Weerasethakul refused the cuts, pulled his film from release and appealed the decision. Not only was his appeal rejected, officials insisted on an additional cut of a scene showing statues of Prince Songkhla and the Princess Mother.
The director has decided to make the cuts and release the film with black tape in place of the missing material as “a statement, and a historical record of Thailand.”
Ranked on many critics’ top 10 lists for 2007 (including my own), Syndromes and a Century is currently available on DVD. You can read me trying (and failing) to wrap my mind around it here.
Source: Variety
Filed under: News
A masterpiece, and the story behind the censorship of it in Weerasethakul’s home country is saddening.
Interesting–and ballsy–decision on Weerasethakul’s part to release the film with black tape in the place of the contested sequences.
I’ll have to see this one again real soon.
Tonight, it’s a return to Coen Country with No Country for Old Men…
I remember reading about Apichatpong’s troubles a little while ago in an issue of Film Comment. It’s bittersweet that it’s showing in Thailand. It’s hard to compare our own cultural standards with a different country. It seems ridiculous to Americans that a country would refuse to show a movie that had kissing doctors but at the same time, they clearly have their reasons, be they religious or political or both.
By the way, I’m not saying that America is void of censorship but we’re definitely more lenient than some other countries.
I try not to pass judgement on the way other countries carry on about their business, but censorship is becoming kid of a hot button issue to me.
In an age where disgrunttled people have the ability to strike out globally, oppression in all its forms is bad for all of us.
It’s a good reminder that the luxuries we enjoy in this country without thinking of them are not so free and easy elsewhere.
It’s true that Americans enjoy certain freedoms and lack of restraints that other countries still are struggling with. On the other hand, there are quite of few countries (in Europe, for example) where the same can be said about us.
I get the impression that Weerasethakul’s film is an easy target for the Thai censors because it’s so strange. If it were more appealing to the average moviegoer I think they wouldn’t be so quick to jump on it. But his work appeals to a relatively narrow audience, so they can crack down on it without most Thai moviegoers getting up in arms about it.
I think you’re right Paul, but any chance I can get to put the name of the movie in front of people, I’m taking advantage.
I’m just waiting for someone to come back and tell me what a jerk I am for recommending such a strange movie.
Craig~~
Or to sarcastically thank you for getting that song stuck in their heads…
Ahahah…I still listen to it from time to time and it still makes me smile.
They’re pissed of about a monk playing a guitar, but the shifting erection stays in?