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Thailand's Submission for Best Foreign Language Film (Academy Award)

By Chau Nguyen

Two strange murders bring two strangers together in Pen-ek Ratanaruang's addictive tale of two lost souls, topped with a guest appearance by Japanese filmmaker Takashi Miike.

Last Life in the Universe

Running time: 104 minutes

Producer: Nonzee Nimibutr, Duangkamol Limcharoen
Director: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
Writer: Prabda Yoon, Pen-ek Ratanaruang
Art Director: Saksiri Chantarangsri
Cinematographer: Christopher Doyle
Costume Designer: Sombat Sarateerasaroch
Editor: Pattamanadda Yukol
Sound Mixer: Sunit Asawanitkul
Music Composer: Hualampongriddim & Smallroom
Cast: Asano Tadanobu, Sinitta Boonyasak, Laila Boonyasak
Production Company: Cinemasia Co., Ltd.
Premiere Date: August 8, 2003
Country: Thailand

Thailand’s submission for this year’s Academy Awards is Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s Last Life in the Universe (Ruang Rak Noi Nid Mahasan). The story is about a Japanese man, Kenji (Asano Tadanobu), who is living in Bangkok. Kenji is obsessed with suicide and one night, accidentally kills a yakuza gang member who is after his brother. On the same night, Noi (Sinitta Boonyasak), a Thai girl working in Pattaya, accidentally kills her sister. In order to escape, the two hide out together for three days. The movie focuses around these two strangers’ chance encounter and their struggles to find love, life, and redemption.

With a running time of 104 minutes, the movie was originally released on August 8, 2003 at the Major Cineplex in Hong Kong where it had a 28-day run. The movie has already won the Grand Jury Prize at the World Film Festival in Bangkok and the Best Actor Award (Asano Tadanobu) at the Upstream Competition in Venice.

 


The Director

Ratanaruang began his career directing commercials for the Thai production The Film Factory, where his advertising work has won more than 20 national and international awards. It wasn’t until 1997 that he directed his first feature film, Fun Bar Karaoke, which he premiered at the International Forum of New Cinema at Berlin Film Festival. Since then, he has made 6IXTYNIN9 (1999), which received numerous awards at various film festivals, and Mon Rak Transistor (2001), which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight in Cannes 2002. It also won several awards such as the Asian Trade Winds Award at the Seattle IFF and Best Picture and Best Screenplay Awards from Thai Film Federation Association. Last Life in the Universe is his fourth film.

For more information about the movie, please visit the official website at www.lastlifeintheuniverse.com (Thai and English).

Date Posted: 1/23/2004