Mae Nak phra khanong

There have been around twenty film adaptations of the popular Thai legend of Mae Nak, including several blockbusters. Mae Nak is said to have lived with her husband Thit Mak in a tiny hut on the Phra Khanong Canal over 100 years ago. Her husband went off to war while she was pregnant. Both mother and child died in labor, but the ghost of Mae Nak who had eagerly awaited her husband’s return, lives on.

Rangsi Thatsanaphayak’s 1959 adaptation was shot on 16mm color reversal and silent, with live dubbing performed during screenings, a common practice during the 16mm era of Thai cinema. (While 35mm color films had existed in Thailand since the 1950s, they weren’t as common because processing required sending them to labs like those in the UK or Japan). This screening will be live dubbed by the Thai film narrator Dokkhamtai. The screening will be introduced by Chalida Uabumrungjit, director of the Thai Film Archive in Bangkok.

Chalida Uabumrungjit graduated in film from Thammasat University and film archiving from the University of East Anglia, UK. She is one of the founding members of the Thai Short Film and Video Festival and has served as Festival Director since 1997. She has been involved in making a number of experimental films and documentaries. She was also on the selection committee of AND (Asian Network of Documentary) from 2006-2018. From 2013-2022, she was on the Executive Committee of FIAF (International Federation of Film Archives). She has served as as the Director of the Film Archive, Thailand since 2019.