UPDATE: Koh Masaki was reported dead on May 18, 2013, from peritonitis. #RIP

How did you start shooting adult videos?
My friend, a manager of an adult film company, called me. I was managing female models in a model agency at the time.

How many films have you done?
Too many to count.

Is your family okay with this career?
Yes.

Are you gay?
Yes, 100%.

Have you ever had a crush on another actor?
Never.

What’s your limit when working as a porn star?
I quit sex without a condom in May last year. I have other limits, but I won’t say them here.

Do you ever think about retirement?
Sorry, I won’t answer that, because I don’t want to be bound by my answer. It will just happen.

But what will you do next?
I have no plan. I am just doing what I have to do right now.

Do you feel Japan is open to gay men?
I think that the gay scene in Japan is not so open as in Thailand. But sure, it is more progressive than other countries in Asia.

What’s your personal fetish?
None.

What’s your sexiest body part?
My eyes.

Boxers, bikinis, briefs or thongs?
Boxers from DUGAS only.

Remember your first kiss and first love?
No. Wait. Yes, I was eight years old.

You participated in Ayumi Hamasaki’s music video recently. People said it was the first male kiss scene in Japanese music.
Yes, it was my first time in a music video. It was exciting for me! I suppose it was the first time in Japan for something like this.

Do you have boyfriend?
Yes, Sky, who is also a go-go boy. He is smart and has always understood my job from the very beginning.

Koh Masaki in ten years?
I think that I will remain happy and surrounded by my closest friends.

BK: You’ve just had your movie banned. What happens now?
MS: We have to make an appeal within 15 days. We have to draft a statement. We have to explain that we are not a threat to national security. We are not causing any divides. Why is Macbeth a threat to any nation?
IK: I read Macbeth when I was 15, doing my O-levels for school. All over the world, kids can recite the witches’ chant. So why? It’s absurd?

BK: But this is a particular interpretation of Macbeth. You make the connection to Thailand’s history and politics pretty clear. There’s the scene where someone is beaten by a chair…
IK: Yes, the October 6 massacre. Everyone looks at our film through the prism of Thai politics. Recently, a Shakespearean professor saw the film. And it was so refreshing. Because he saw it from the Shakespearean perspective. And it is about Shakespeare. I’m not doing Shakespeare as a gimmick. I really do love Shakespeare. He is like religion to me. He studies pathologies of the mind. Othello is about jealousy. Macbeth is about megalomania. It’s not just about Thaksin. Thaksin is not the only megalomaniac in this country. Every village has a megalomaniac. This whole country is a victim of megalomania. We live in fear. And this ban proves it.

BK: So it is political.
IK: I’m a filmmaker. I find it very odd that people say, this is not fair to the Red Shirts, this is not fair to the Royalists… We get it from both sides by the way. All this is nonsense. We are talking about a horror movie! A Shakespearean horror movie. This is about fanatics. How Thai society can just erupt into Rwanda 1994. It’s happened before and it can happen again. If the hatemongers and propagandists continue to make our lives insane. Why is it that people are not demanding truth and neutrality from say Newsweek. Newsweek said Yingluck is as great as Aung Saan Suu Kyi, Hilary Clinton. Demand accountability from media outlets. But this is a horror movie. It’s about what scares us.

BK: A political horror movie.
IK: But what does that mean? Political? This is about living in a country ruled by fear. I don’t want to live in a country ruled by fear, under anybody. It is so simple.

BK: If your appeal does succeed, will screening be an issue?
IK: They [move theaters] are terrified. Everyone is living in terror. We don’t know. We’re not fortune tellers. And by then we don’t even know if the country will still be standing. Seriously. Any moment, things can go completely berserk.

BK: Is this movie art for art’s sake, or are you looking for a reaction from the audience?
Manit: We want national self-examination.
Ing K: This film, last film, any film. That’s what it’s about. I’m not fighting Thaksin, Red Shirts, anything. I am fighting the propaganda, all the ads, on the BTS, washing over your brain all the time. We don’t want to show something that makes people feel like they’re not human unless they buy this or live like this, we want something that makes them think and have discussions.

BK: Are censors saying reconciliation is filmmakers’ responsibility?
IK: Reconciliation is such a dirty word.
MS: When we met the committee of censors. That is the first thing they said, “We are in a climate of reconciliation. We feel this film might cause a problem.” What are they talking about? Reconciliation of what? This film will cause what? This film can cause social unrest? This is a film about greed. Reconciliation with who? First you have to ask, what is the problem? Only one side can talk and the other group must shut up. How can they call this reconciliation? Even Thaksin’s brother says, “Don’t listen to the minority. The majority vote is key.” This is not democracy. You have to accept every voice, even voices you don’t like it.
IK: How many people are going to see it? Let’s say it opens at House. 100?

BK: So what are they afraid of [if no one will see it]?
MS: They’re afraid of their boss.
IK: There’s a lot of self-censorship. The censors, just because they’re censors, it doesn’t mean they don’t feel the fear.
MS: We should be afraid, not the censors. If people get angry, we will be held responsible. But they say, “Oh but we are responsible, too.”
IK: People are scared of Thaksin like he’s a boogeyman. Like he’s hardly a human anymore. If he’s going to come after anyone, surely it would be the filmmakers, not the censors.

BK: Well, in that hypothesis, wouldn’t Thaksin hold the censors accountable for letting your film be screened?
MS: Then they are under influence. When you make a judgment, you cannot be under any influence, even if it is fear. Otherwise, you cannot deliver a proper judgment.
IK: And 3 out of 7 of the censors didn’t sign the order.
MS: They took almost 15 days to come up with the verdict. They had a long debate. Some thought giving the 20+ age rating is enough. But the committee has their own ego. They’re worried that film directors will become fearless, that they won’t be afraid of the censorship board. So they give them a lesson.

BK: Would the previous government have approved this movie?
MS: Yes, I think so, because they gave us the money! We had to show the script, we had to show the regicide. But now we’re stuck between both sides.
IK: It’s like we don’t exist. We are not red, not yellow, not anything. We have no media voice. In between, there is a big group that keeps silent. We are in fact the majority.
MS: We explore the dark side of humans. We don’t explore the system, the monarchy, the republic… No matter the system. Megalomania is the source of corruption. We go to the roots. You can change the whole system, but if that thing is still there, nothing has changed.
IK: Whoever rules by fear, I don’t want to live under them. It’s about fear, about horror.
MS: We go really deep into the human psyche. That is why the committee is so uncomfortable. We asked, “How can we change the movie to be acceptable?” They said, “Just improve it.” I don’t know what they want. So vague. But you go there and you see them and you know, they are terrified by our stuff. Petrified. They admitted they couldn’t sleep after seeing it.
IK: You don’t realize that Thai people are living in fear. That is so basic to us at this moment that we can’t even talk about anything if you don’t realize that we do. Everybody. Such fear.

BK: Would you be ready to edit the movie according to the censor?
IK: No.
MS: If they come up with…
IK: I’m not! Are you serious?
MS: We don’t close the door. Tell us what you want. We can change if it will make the film better to make the film better. If it makes it worse, no way.
IK: If it’s their idea of better, which means insipid, less potent. No way.

BK: Didn’t you see it coming, the ban?
IK: No! A 20+ rating maybe.
 

What’s the difference between the royal recipe and the Petchburi recipe for khao chae?
The Petchburi version has only three side dishes and a simpler presentation.The royal recipe is all about attention to detail, through the use of rhoom (eggnet) and carved vegetables.

Where’s your favorite place to eat khao chae?
The villages in Khao Yoi, Petchburi. The condiments are usually just pla pad wan (stir-fried sweetened fish), chai poe phad khai (stir-fried preserved turnip with eggs) and luk kapi (dried fish and shrimp paste balls). Even with fewer sides, the result is still really flavorful.

What’s the biggest mistake people make when cooking khao chae?
Not making it fragrant enough. It usually takes you three days to fully infuse the flavors, so it’s not something easily achieved at home.

What makes khao chae so special?
Its amazing aroma. There’s a reason it takes three days to make. The aromatics of the dish make it extremely refreshing. The key to khao chae is to use very little rice compared to the amount of water.

What do you think of Singapore’s wine scene and its consumers?
An increasingly confident pool of consumers are demanding more, including uniquely-designed activities and also expecting wine professionals to be competent service- and knowledge-wise since most information can be conveniently found on an iPhone.

How are establishments adapting to this evolution?
Some restaurants include subtle education elements by arranging them in geographical sequence and listing grape varietals, all efforts to inform and familiarize diners with the many wines and regions.

Any suggestions on where to go?
Les Amis (for French wine), Forlino and Gattopardo (for Italian wine), Bodegas y Tapas (for Spanish wine), as well as Asian eateries like Wan Hao Chinese Restaurant, My Humble House, Imperial Treasure Fine Chinese Cuisine and Chinois by Susur Lee are some fine examples.

Everyone’s talking about Australian wines. What’s your take?
Some of them will surprise you. A key development in the Australian wine industry is the focus on making a wine that reflects its place of origin. Aussie winemakers are also using other varietals instead of the usual suspects such as Fiano, Vermentino, Arneis, Tempranillo, Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, which make for great alternatives.

How did minimART come about?
Being artists ourselves, we know that affordability is essential when it comes to putting ourselves in the market. minimART was inspired by artistic platforms we came across in Malaysia, Japan and Australia. We realized that Singapore didn’t have an affordable showcase platform for budding local artists, thus minimART was born.

How do you feel about the local art scene?
There’s a pool of growing talent in Singapore waiting to be unleashed. However, these artists need the support of our community to reach their full potential.

Where do you see Singapore on the international art scene?
In terms of presence, I’d say Singapore is doing relatively well. Our local artists have had their work featured in internationally acclaimed auction houses such as Jason Wee’s “Captain’s log: The coast of Japan” at Christie’s in 2009, and Genevieve Chua’s ‘“Stand Guard for Our Motherland” at Sotheby’s in 2011.

How will minimART help budding local artists?
minimART provides budding artists with a platform to be discovered by showcasing their work for sale and allowing them to experiment with new ideas. It also serves as a support network for local artists to be nurtured and encourages creativity.

minimART 2012 is on April 7-8 at The Substation.

Why do you think Warhol’s work is so enduring?
By raising daily life objects, commercial and mass culture to the rank of art, he revolutionized the way we look at the world. In a way, he democratized art and made it accessible to all.

Do you have a favorite exhibition piece?
If I had to pick one it would be “The Silver Clouds,” an art installation of balloons made of helium and oxygen. Their unpredictable motion creates a work that is in constant change which I find very poetic. In the exhibition you can see a video of Merce Cunningham dancing with the silver clouds in his dance creation called “Rainforest.”

Are you presenting Warhol to a Singaporean audience differently than you would to an American one?
Certainly. As with all our exhibitions, we adapted this one for a local audience. We didn’t want to take for granted that our visitors, even those who have heard of Warhol, are intimately familiar with who he was and how he worked. So we made a point of re-contextualizing his works by showcasing tools and materials similar to what he used, in order to showcase his creative process.

The Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal exhibition is on through August 12 at ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands.

A tiger is… majestic, beautiful and fierce.
Art is… a kind of experiment to discover new sensations that don’t yet have a name.
Love is… the opening of the self into otherness.
Metal means... intensity.
Don’t get brokenhearted, get… ready for a new mind.

The Song of the Brokenhearted Tiger is on through April 6-7 at Esplanade Theatre Studio.

How familiar are you with the classic tale?
Julie Wee: Pretty familiar. I studied it for “O” Levels and remember reciting the lines out loud. I’ve been rereading my secondary school copy of the play, which is full of colorful notes—I wonder how my 16-year-old self came up with all those interpretations of the text!

How do you get into character?
Hansel Tan: The most awkward thing so far has been growing my hair out, at director Ivan Heng’s request. I hate long hair but for the past two months, I’ve refrained from any trimming or touch-ups. I look like the bastard son of a mop and Justin Bieber.

Any parallels between your love life and that of the characters? 
JW: I hope not! Well, I am loyal like Juliet, that’s for sure. Once I’ve committed to you, I’m yours.
What’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done for someone? 
HT: I arranged a sleep-in at a friend’s house for my date. We sat on the couch and watched the documentary Grey Gardens. I even bought a bottle of wine. I was a hipster in my youth.

What do you think of the local theater scene?
HT: The local scene supports tiny gem-like pieces with reflective power that outstrips any Broadway cash-machine. Local theater has the capacity to intimately affect the Singaporean heart. It helps keep us together.

Romeo and Juliet runs from April 12-28 at The Drama Centre, National Library.

What unique challenges does comic theater present?
People generally feel that “serious” theater or drama is harder than comedy. I disagree. For comedy to work well, you have to care about the characters and make them believable. Not only does the performance have to be real and honest, the actors also have to have an external ear, “listening” to the audience and how they are reacting.

Do you anticipate having to do anything different for a foreign audience?
Apart from speaking clearly, I don’t think so. I think the humor in Out of Order is universal. Men, especially men with power like politicians, have behaved badly throughout history. And the absurdity of male infidelity has been a subject of comedy and drama going back for centuries.

Britain has a long-standing tradition of political comedy. Where do you think that stems from?
The British love to pop the balloon of pomposity and self-importance. The tradition is that nobody gets too big for their boots. If they do, anyone has license to prick their bubble!

Why are politicians often portrayed as incompetent and liable to be brought down by their libido?
I don’t think it’s just politicians, many people are brought down by their libido. We hear about politicians and media personalities more often because they are the ones talked about.

What’s the current state of theater in the UK?
London theater is really good at the moment. We had a phase where it was dominated by large musicals, but now there’s variety on offer—from classic revivals to new writing.

Out of Order is on April 12-15 at Jubilee Hall, Raffles Hotel.

Watching TV shows and tons of movies as a kid made me fall in love with this kind of stuff.

Making movies is magical. It’s an art that never gets boring. It’s not like painting where you have to show your work in an exhibition.

Making movies these days is much easier than before. You make them and then you can screen them anywhere.

New generations should be warned, they can’t just churn out material, just because it’s easy. They need to think first.

Making movies is an art, but there is also a science to it. And that you have to study.

The things that make you different from others are your creativity, patience and endurance.

I make movies to touch people. They may laugh or cry, but in the end, it’s nice to know that your message may help them.

I’d be so proud to know if my audience was thinking about my movie during difficult times and found themselves better able to cope as a result.

I experienced a crisis during the time that I dropped out of the movie scene. My parents both got cancer. It was such a shock having them both sick at the same time.

Crippling fear made me lose my inspiration, I didn’t want to lose them. This is why I only did small projects like Lud See Lud or 4 Romance.

Then I realized being stressed out is just a waste of time. Something like sickness can’t be controlled. All you can do is come to terms with the reality of the situation. I finally lost my father.

Losing a loved one has shaped me. If you have things that you want to do, do them. Tell those closest to you how much you love them. I was lucky to at least have two good years with my dad before he passed away.

Death isn’t something romantic. And it’s not a joke. When you truly face it, you have to understand that a part of your life is gone.

All these experiences influenced my comeback and the focus of my new movie. It’s all about good memories in life.

I chose to shoot in Chiang Mai because it’s my hometown. All my childhood memories are there.

I love to create with new, talented people. I love working with people who are smart and have ambition. Working with someone who’s just a good looking face but has no potential to create their own work is really no fun.

When I’m fed up with entertainment, and just want to take a break from my work, I don’t have a lot of options. I don’t want to go to the movies because I make movies, and I don’t want to listen to songs, because I compose them. The only option left is to travel.

I love the sea and remote mountains. I can cut myself off from the city and turn off my phone for a few days.

Money means nothing in those places. You don’t have to act posh or consume things in order to look good in other people’s eyes.

Being with nature makes you know yourself better. And helping others can create inspiration.

I love talking to strangers. It’s very fulfilling. My life doesn’t seem to provide me with many difficult or interesting topic to discuss, but other people’s lives are so interesting.

You need to separate your feelings at work and at home. Otherwise your life is going to be a mess.

It’s beautiful to be different. If we all thought the same things, how could we really call ourselves a democracy?

I am really a geek. I always produce a system that allows me to work with others as effectively as possible—a program on our phones or emails. It really saves time.

I made my first movie [Pisaj, 2004] at 22, everyone was older than me back then.

You need to be steadfast and have a clear vision to gain credibility.

Don’t listen to bad comments and never stray from your own inner voice.