Thailand's filmmakers welcome the proposed rating system but are still concerned about censorship

The first new legislation governing the film industry in more the seven decades was endorsed by the cabinet last week and will be soon be considered by the National Legislative Assembly.

But while the bill has provided the country with a long-sought-after rating system, filmmakers are still unhappy, pointing out that censorship still exists. The draft, drawn up the Council of State, provides four ratings: PG, PG-15, PG 18 and X. Filmmakers are concerned about the X-rated category, which prohibits any movie considered to warrant this label from being released both domestically and outside the country. Acclaimed director Apichatpong Weerasethakul is offended by the classification, saying it will limit creativity and impinges on the rights of foreign audiences to watch films they might enjoy.

"I find it unacceptable to have my films banned from international screens. Audiences in France or Africa may find the content enlightening not shocking," he says.

"As a filmmaker, I have to maintain a dialogue with the whole world. It's a very sad situation if I am forced to create in an atmosphere when I am worried about whether my work will satisfy the scrutiny of the law."

Thamronglak Lapinee, director of the Council of State's Trading and Industrial Law Office, notes that Thailand doesn't yet have special cinemas reserved for adult films.

Nor does the drafting committee feel Thai society is ready for such specialised theatres.

The filmmakers disagree, arguing that a space, even if small, should be made available for true cinemaphiles.

"Certainly X-rated movies are not suited for mainstream audiences but we could use the cinema in the new Bangkok Contemporary Art Centre for small groups who want to see the movies," says Apichatpong.

Media activist Suphinya Klangnarong takes the debate a step further. She says that filmmakers are not just fighting the legislators but also public opinion.

"Every country, even the USA, is up against a conservative majority. The difference is that most countries have alternative channels to reach the minority groups but we don't," she says.

"Censorship also exists the world over. But here in Thailand, the state doesn't provide space for minority opinions.

"We are a hypocritical society. For example, we know polygamy is immoral but Thai men often have more than one wife. We just don't like watching the truth on the big screen."

During the several seminars that have been held to discuss the new film law, representatives from the state have expressed concern about a public backlash if they allow sensitive issues to be shown on screen.

They forget that total consensus doesn't exist and that disagreement doesn't necessarily mean conflict.

Surasak Sunphitakserre, secretary of the Federation of National Film Associations of Thailand, says that filmmakers still have time to fight for amendments.

"There's a long way to go before the bill becomes law. We need to decide what we want to fix, and lobby the NLA," he says.

But the filmmakers are uneasy. They know little about the legislative process or even how to lobby for their cause. At a recent seminar, they pressed the Council of State representative to provide them with details of the route the draft would follow before being adopted.

Although censorship has long plagued the Thai film industry, the current controversy was stirred up in April when the Board of Censors refused to screen Apichatpong's latest movie "Sang Sattawat" ("Syndrome and A Century") unless the director agreed to remove four scenes. The timing coincided with the completion of the drafting of the new film law.

Incensed, local filmmakers formed the Free Thai Cinema Movement but it was too late to change the draft. Many rued the lack of cohesion 12 months earlier when public forums were held to discuss the proposed new film law. Few filmmakers attended and those that did walked out after a conflict with the drafting committee.

There's also concern about the people who will serve on the future Film and Video Rating Board.

"The problem is not so much the rating system or even censorship, it's the people who enforce the law," says film critic and lecturer Dr Krisada Kerddee.

"People who implement the law should be knowledgeable, honest, open-minded, and understand today's society."

Critic and lecturer Pravit Tangaksorn feels it's essential to settle the conflict between filmmakers and the state office.

"Since they introduced the film law 77 years ago, we've seen a great deal of careless censoring, with little attention paid to the art of filmmaking.

"Even with a rating system, the board will be the enemy of the industry unless its members are suitably qualified and can prove they understand both their social responsibilities and that film is a creative art."

While waiting for the draft to become law, the Free Thai Cinema Movement and a group of filmmakers led by Prachya Pinkaew is planning to test the rating system.

They've already asked for cooperation from the Culture Ministry, venue owners and other filmmakers. Under the project, each movie under the programme will be rated by an independent board made up of a filmmaker, critic and lecturer, and the results compared with the proposed PG, PG-15 and PG 18 classifications.

If their system works, the exercise will serve as the model for the upcoming rating law.

Parinyaporn Pajee

The Nation