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Published on October 22, 2007

His Majesty will turn 80 on December 5.

This old film in English tells about a virtuous king who bravely defended Ayutthaya and defeated a tyrant from a neighbouring country. Despite his victory, the king allows the invading tyrant and his troops to re-turn to their country unharmed.

Pridi Banomyong wrote the script for this film while he was serving as a finance minister.

Produced before World War II, the film has been kept at the National Film Archive of Thailand. The organisation's conservation of old films, in particular the "King of the White Elephant", has won recognition from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

On behalf of the National Film Archive of Thailand, Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon yesterday received the Fellini Silver Medal Award from the Unesco representative.

"Other Asian countries have paid not much attention to old films despite the fact that films are very much like cultures," a representative of Unesco said.

The award presentation took place yesterday at the Phuket International Film Festival.

She said the National Film Archive of Thailand, a state agency, was now in the process of transforming into a public organisation but would continue to do its jobs in keeping both video and audio recordings.

The Nation