Can you tell us a bit about Lost?
Lertsiri: Our films depict people who are lost in various ways. We specifically focused on people losing their memory, becoming lost in love and lost in their own ego. In the first, an elderly man tries to walk to a different province, thinking it is his home. Along the way, he befriends a runaway girl who has lost hope in life and has turned to drugs. The next story is about a couple, soon to be wed, going through a period of uncertainty. The situation escalates when the groom-to-be runs into his old girlfriend, and, for a moment, becomes lost in love. Finally, we have a story about an egomaniac working at an ad agency. He’s climbs the ladder of success and reached the top, but today he discovers what it’s like to fall. The movie is set in Bangkok and told within the timeframe of one day.

How did the project come about?
Lertsiri: I thought back to the days when I lived in NYC with my mom working at a nursing home. Seeing elderly people being left behind sort of drove a nail through my heart. When I came back to Thailand and lived in Bangkok, I saw that the hectic way of life meant many elderly people were being left behind. And every now and then you would hear news of people being lost in the city as they went searching for their loved ones. I decided to base the movie on this, and to take it up a notch by expanding the theme of being lost to feeling lost in love and getting lost in your own ego. Vutichai shared this vision and we wrote the script together. 

You're screening Lost at the Lido Theatre but only for one day. Why such a short run?
Lertsiri: Our film was sponsored by True Visions and they actually helped us with the project, so that it would become a feature presentation on True Visions this Christmas. But as filmmakers, Vutichai and I agreed that we should at least give it a shot on the big screen to realize our dream. So we forked out our own money to screen it at Lido. Due to our financial resources, we could only afford that one screening. But if demands are high, who knows.

Which films first got you excited about the possibilities of the medium?
Lertsiri: Run Lola Run, Jaws, The Killing Fields.
Vutichai: Cinema Paradiso, The Last Emperor.

Would you liken your style to anyone in particular?
Lertsiri: We really wanted to be unique from the start, but like, you know, everything has been done before. It is not so much of a style but rather our topics and issues that both Vutichai and I like to go in depth with. We both agreed that our interests in social issues is what defines our writing and vision. 

Do you predict any big changes for Thai cinema in the near future?
Lertsiri: We think that Thai films will eventually gain a more global audience. Thailand has so much to offer with many bright young directors. If only they were given the chance to prove their worth. I doubt that change will happen fast, but it will eventually come.

Finally, do you have any more projects in the pipeline?
Lertsiri: Before working on Lost, we had been building up a list of ideas and synopses for many movie ideas. Currently we are returning to our list of scripts and we’re working on three different stories at the moment: a romantic comedy, a children's fantasy and drama). For us, the process starts all over again, and it might take some time to find the right sponsorship or funding. But, hey, at least this time around we have some experience to guide us. interviewed by Dominic Hanratty