After ditching the big production studios to follow his art-house obsession last year with the internationally acclaimed P-047, veteran filmmaker Kongdej Jaturanrasamee returns with his second independent project, Tang Wong. The film, funded by the Office of Contemporary Art And Culture, broaches the ever-pertinent topic of superstition in Thai culture and premiered at the 63rd Berlin Film Festival before finally hitting Bangkok this month.
The film follows four high school boys: nerd buddies Yong and Jay, selected to represent the school in a science competition; ambitious Best who wants to make the school ping-pong team, knowing a scholarship could ease his family’s financial burden; and Em who, after quitting school and joining vocational college, follows his Korean obsession by becoming the leader of a dance group, and is also trying to win back his ex-girlfriend, Fieng. The four boys, driven by very different reasons, end up praying before the Luang Poo idol at the spirit house near their school, promising to give the idol a Thai dance if their wishes come true. While not all believe in the powers of the sacred spirit, the boys enlist Nut, a transgender professional dancer, to teach them some moves.
When we interviewed the director last year, he spoke of the importance of having the budget and freedom to write and direct projects that he really believes in. And, truth is, you’d never guess this drama-comedy was government-funded. There are no clichéd “together we can” moments, as we’ve seen so many times before. Rather, Kongdej delves head-first into a topic so deeply ingrained in Thai culture, but which is so often explored in a purely comedic manner: superstition.
Here, the central characters’ vow is given great symbolic weight. Not only do the four boys come to question their own traditional beliefs, but so does the audience. The very concept of “belief” is also foregrounded as Kongdej turns the spotlight on Thai youths’ Korean obsession, politics [the red shirt movement features in the background] and parents’ expectation of their kids, among other topics of the day.
The big plus-point is that the film handles these potentially very serious issues in a light, casual way. The cliché that all art-house flicks are slow-paced, brooding affairs filled with hard-to-understand symbolism is one the film overcomes with ease. On top of the smooth and natural dialogue that had us laughing at nearly every scene, the perfectly-selected cast excels even though they’re all new to acting. Put simply, even if you ignore all the symbolism, you won’t miss Tang Wong’s thought-provoking but ultimately fun message.
