Pen-Ek Ratanaruang

Why do I film?

Never gave it a thought before. If I have to guess, the only reason I can give is perhaps “addiction”. [I] think I’m absolutely addicted to the entire process: writing, casting, scouting, filming, editing, etc. I really have no other reason. Never dreamt of becoming a filmmaker. Never made any money from it. I have no need to be making films, but I can’t stop doing it. So it must be addiction.

Who do I film for?

If it’s addiction that makes me keep making films, then I would have to say I’m filming for myself and those people I have known, whose lives I have stolen from to put into my films.
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I was born and raised in Bangkok. Studied art history and worked briefly in new york. Worked in advertising back here in Bangkok for almost 10 years before I made my first film, fun bar karaoke. Then came 6ixtynin9, Mon-Rak Transistor, Last Life in the Universe, Invisible Waves, and Twelve Twenty (short). Now I’m about to start shooting another film in about 2 weeks. I’m proud of my films but never really satisfied with them. (written December 29, 2006)

The answers:

Kiri Dalena
Edwin
Ho Tzu Nyen
Ho Yuhang
Antoinette Jadaone
Eric Khoo
Raya Martin
Amir Muhammad
Uruphong Raksasad
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Sherad Anthony Sanchez
Martyn See
Tan Pin Pin
John Torres
Apichatpong Weerasethakul