After its world premiere at the 36th Tokyo International Film Festival (TIFF) and nomination for “Asian Future” category for up-and-coming Asian director, “Red Life” is finally slated to release on Nov 2 in theaters across the nation. 

 

The film features an ensemble cast and separates into two distinct tales. Ter (Thiti “Bank” Mahayotarak) is a common thief committing petty crimes to build a better life with the sex worker he loves, Mild (Karnpicha “Jomjam” Pongpanit). Then, there’s Som (Supitcha “Sydney” Sangkhachinda) who upon entering a new elite school falls for the popular girl Peach (Sumitra “Fye” Duangkaew) and begins hiding her family’s financial struggles, including her mother’s sex work. 

 

 

The film is the directorial debut from Ekalak Klunson whose previous work boasts of 20 years in the advertising industry. Recently pivoting to other forms of storytelling with the establishment of BrandThink, a production house and media company that highlights industry experts, lifestyle nuggets, and the launch of several social awareness campaigns. 

 

It was always Ek and his team’s dream to create a film that holds a mirror up to society. After six years of BrandThink, Red Life may finally be the project to fulfill that prophecy. 

 

The film’s accuracy in portraying real life struggles is up for debate, but it’s important to note that these stories—clichéd as it may be—rarely get made, even more rarely get made right, and almost never garner international attention.

 

Sex work in Thailand, a central theme of the piece, is unprotected by labor laws, and the job itself remains criminalized. 

 

By introducing the sex and love lives of these characters to the forefront of the film, audiences can peel back the layers and see personal life against the backdrop of deep-seeded systematic failures.

 

Red Life can be viewed at major cinemas around Thailand.