Culture Scope

Dorm' screening at the FCCT 

Today (July 16) at 8pm at the Foreign Correspondents Club of Thailand, top floor of the Maneeya Centre in Bangkok

The 2006 movie "Dek Hor" ("Dorm") will be screened in conjunction with the 2007 Bangkok International Film Festival and courtesy of GMM Tai Hub.

What seems like an old story - a young innocent dumped by uncaring parents at a spooky boarding school - is no stereotypical, violent Thai slasher movie. "Dorm" may in fact be one of the most heartwarming ghost stories ever put on film.

The movie won a special award for Best Feature at the Berlin Film Festival, the Best Director trophy in Fajr, the Audience Award in Leeds and Thai National Film Association Awards for Best Art Direction and Best Editing.

Director Songyos Sugmakanan will answer questions before the screening at the club.

Call (02) 652 05801, email fccthai@loxinfo.co.th or visit www.fccthai.com.

Wonders of the Qingming scroll

Next Saturday (July 21) at 10.30am at the Siam Society on Bangkok's Sukhumvit Soi 21

The 12thcentury scroll entitled "Qingming Shanghe Tu" - "Going Up the River at the Qingming Festival" - was one of the most popular artworks of its day and was copied numerous times during succeeding epochs.

Handpainted by Zhang Zeduan, a member of the prestigious Imperial Court Academy, the scroll is much admired for its realistic style and historical detail. It depicts the busy waterways and noisy streets of the capital city Kaifeng, and the daily life and activities of the ordinary people who live there.

More than 40 works in the "Qingming Shanghe Tu" tradition are known today, and examples can be found in major museums all over the world. It is generally agreed that the original is the one at the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Next Saturday Eileen Deeley of the British Council, who recently saw a celebrated copy of the scroll at the Taipei Palace Museum, will give a talk on its history.

Afterwards there will be a Peking duck Banquet at the Kamthieng House.

Admission is Bt550 per person. Advance bookings are required.

Call (02) 661 64707, fax (02) 258 3491 or email info@siamsociety.org.