A few months since Insects in the Backyard became the first Thai movie to be banned under the Film Act B. E. 2551, the director, Thanwarin Sukhaphisit, sues the government’s rating board. Here, we sit her down for a quick chat.

Why are you suing the rating board?
The movie was deemed inappropriate for sceening in the kingdom of Thailand and was labeled as misrepresentative of Thai culture. I can’t accept this judgment, as some members of the committee haven’t seen the movie and some have only seen excerpts of it before making the decision. If we stay silent, it means that we accept their verdict. I believe in our legal system and also believe that we have a right to protect our intellectual property.

Do you think this will have any impact on The National Federation of Thai Film Association?
Banning is worse than rating the film. The board is depriving the public of the chance to choose what they would like to watch. Our actions will hopefully nudge society. At least people will know that there is something wrong with the rating system, which reflects a weakness in the Thai constitution and should be reconsidered. If we don’t do anything, nothing will change. We are paving the way for creativity.

What is the feedback from other Thai directors?
Mr. Song-yos Sukmakanat, president of Thai Film Directors Association, will accompany us to the court hearing. We got good feedback from some Thai directors as well. They know that what we are doing is not only for Insects in the Backyard but also for the development of the Thai film industry as a whole.