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Published on November 9, 2007

Thicha na Nakorn, director of the Ban Kanjanapisek facility which is supervised by the Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection, was speaking at a seminar entitled "Do movies really affect society?" organised by the Department of Mental Health.

The seminar started off with a viewing of "Oldboy" - a South Korean film said to have been the inspiration of the Virginia Tech massacre in the United States.

Thicha said that filmmakers should not resort to violence in their films and should instead use symbols to communicate their message. "We have to accept that most Thai teen-agers are not mature enough to decide what of sort of information is good," she said.

Prachya Pinkaew, chief of the Directors Association of Thailand, said the Film and Video Act would be a key instrument in controlling the depiction of violence in movies.

According to the bill, films will be rated PG, PG15, NC18 and X according to content. For instance, movies with PG15 rating will be suitable for viewers aged 15 provided they watch it in the presence of their parents, while anyone under 18 will be prohibited from watching films marked NC18.

Prachya expects the National Legislative Assembly to endorse it before its term ends later this year.

However, Chulalongkorn University lecturer Dr Sukcharoen Tangwongchai, citing a 10-year study conducted in the US, said that it wasn't just movies that influenced children and gave them ideas of new forms of aggression. Other forms of media are also responsible.

"Besides, young people now tend to be more impatient with others," he said.

He said the best way to reduce violence among youths would be to educate them about the impact it has on real life.

Pongphon Sarnsamak

 The Nation