THAILAND: DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA TALKS ABOUT THAILAND'S FILMS AFTER HELPING TO RE-EDIT HISTORICAL FILM "SURIYOTHA" FOR INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE

Record ID: 634143

  • Title: THAILAND: DIRECTOR FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA TALKS ABOUT THAILAND'S FILMS AFTER HELPING TO RE-EDIT HISTORICAL FILM "SURIYOTHA" FOR INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE
  • Date: 9th March 2002
  • Summary: BANGKOK,THAILAND (MARCH 9, 2002) (REUTERS) VARIOUS, FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA BEFORE PRESS CONFERENCE WIDE OF COPPOLA SIGNING AUTOGRAPHS SLV COPPOLA WALKING INTO PRESS CONFERENCE WIDE SHOT OF PRESS CONFERENCE SCU (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRANCIS FORD COPPOLA SAYING: " If films cannot be made in their national language, if they have to be made in English in order to find audience
  • Embargoed: 24th March 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: BANGKOK, THAILAND,
  • Country: Thailand
  • Reuters ID: LVAE9BXXPMK3GS7GT7FLFAJYRZVH
  • Story Text: Renowned Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola is in Thailand to help re-edit film based on 16th century ancient tale about Thai Queen killed in battle against neighbouring Burma, now known as Myanmar. Coppola has been in the country since the end of February overseeing the post-production of "Suriyothai" for an international audience and for future distribution worldwide.
    After watching the film in December last year, Francis Ford Coppola agreed to participate in the revision of the picture for international release.
    The collaboration between Thai prominent film maker H.S.H Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol and Coppola is aimed at making the film more cohesive and bringing more clarity for " non-Thai"
    viewers, most of whom are not aware of the historical details of the original release.
    By simplifying some of the film elements and eliminating some scenes or adding in others, Coppola and Prince Chatrichalerm aim to make the story easier to follow and more entertaining for the foreign audience.
    The new version will have a running time of approximately 150 minutes, down from current 185 minutes. "Suriyothai" will keep its Thai language while having English subtitles representing Coppola's strong belief in non-English films being presented in their own language. " If films cannot be made in their national language, if they have to be made in English in order to find audience than cinema loses tremendous wealth of culture.
    Why not try to use your resources to demonstrate that people can enjoy films in natural language with subtitles. In the past, in the 1950's we went to see Fellini, Kurosawa, the French film makers. We saw them in the language and didn't want to see them dubbed in English. Why not prove that American audience can accept the picture in foreign language with subtitles", Coppola said.
    The re-editing is expected to add an additional US$ 2 million to the cost of the film, At almost US$ 15 million it will be one of the most expensive Asian movies ever made.
    The picture is being prepared in time for screening at the Cannes Film Festival in mid May this year, where Coppola hopes to introduce another successful Asian film.
    "Now, 'Suriyothai' is the next step because 'Suriyothai' is far more complex story relaying on much more information. But I think encouraged by the success of 'Crouching Tiger', we feel that maybe great movie, wonderful movie told well, perhaps editing little more to stress clarity can also jump that hurdle. If it does it's a victory for the cinema because it means that people can make movies in Italian, French, Thai, Japanese as it should be and we can share it with audiences of the world including U.S.", Francis Ford Coppola said.
    The work is estimated to add an additional US$ 2 million to the film's cost, taking the total to almost US$ 15 million - making it one of the most expensive Asian films ever made.
    The picture is being prepared in time for screening at the Cannes Fil Festival in mid May this year.
    -ENDS-
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