The Siam Renaissance
The Siam Renaissance, known in Thai as Tawipop or Thawiphop (Thai: ทวิภพ), is a 2004 Thai historical fantasy film directed by Surapong Pinijkhar. It is the second film adaptation of the 1986 novel Thawiphop by Thommayanti. It stars Florence Vanida Faivre in her film acting debut as Maneechan, a contemporary young woman who is transported to Siam of the 19th century and witnesses the country's struggles against the colonial aspirations of Britain and France.
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The film, produced by Film Bangkok, employed among the largest budgets for Thai films at the time, but was not financially successful. However, it has gained recognition as a major milestone in Thai cinema's developing trend of historical films and for its contribution to the discourse on Thai identity.[1] It was included in the Thai Film Archive's inaugural list of national heritage films in 2011.[2]
References
- Harrison, Rachel V. (2010). "Mind the Gap: (En)countering the West and the Making of Thai Identities on Film". In Harrison, Rachel V.; Jackson, Peter A. (eds.). The Ambiguous Allure of the West: Traces of the Colonial in Thailand. Hong Kong University Press.
- "รายชื่อภาพยนตร์ที่ได้รับการขึ้นทะเบียนเป็นมรดกภาพยนตร์ของชาติ ครั้งที่ 1 ปี 2554". www.fapot.org (in Thai). Film Archive (Public Organization). Retrieved 18 December 2018.