Vichit Kounavudhi

Vichit Kounavudhi

Infobox actor
name = Vichit Kounavudhi


imagesize = 180px
caption = Thai film director.
birthname =
birthdate = 1922
birthplace = Chachoengsao, Thailand
deathdate = 1997
deathplace = Bangkok, Thailand
othername =
occupation = Film director, screenwriter
yearsactive = 1930s-1970
spouse =
partner =
children =
parents =
influences =
influenced =
website =
awards =

Vichit Kounavudhi (Thai: วิจิตร คุณาวุฒิ , 1922-1997, born in Chachoengsao, Thailand) was a Thai film director and screenwriter. His works include the docudrama "Son of the Northeast".

Biography

Early career

Vichit graduated from Vajiravudh College in 1946 and started working as a journalist under the pen name Kounavudhi. He got into filmmaking in 1950, when he was offered the villain's role in "Fa Kamnod".

He then started working as a screenwriter, writing the dialogue for an adaptation of Wannaboon Withayakom's "Phrom Bandan". His first screenplay was "Santi-Weena", an acclaimed drama directed by Tawee "Kru Marut" Na Bangchang. It went on to competition in the 1955 Asia Film Festival in Tokyo, where it won several awards, including best cinematography for cinematographer Rattana Pestonji.

Vichit started directing in 1958 and made 23 films until he retired in 1989. He had a string of action films in the 1960s and early '70s. Several starred legendary leading man Mitr Chaibancha. He also made several films with actor Adul Dulyarat.

Later films

In the 1970s, Vichit was among the filmmakers who highlighted social problems in their films. His 1978 drama, "Mia Luang", or "First Wife", examined the issue of men taking mistresses or a "mia noi" (second wife).

His next film, 1979's "Khon Phukao", or "Mountain People", was an adventure tale about a young hill-tribe couple. It included a documentary-style introduction of the various ethnic groups in northern Thailand.

"Look Isan", or "Son of the Northeast" was shot in a similar documentary style to "Mountain People". Set in Thailand's rural northeast in the 1930s, "Look Isan" is a sympathetic depiction of a hard-scrabble life, with vivid wildlife photography and some rousing action sequences. It is regarded as Vichet's best film.

His 1985 film, "Her Name is Boonrawd", was a look back at the Vietnam War days and the prostitution scene around Utapao air base, where US Air Force troops were based. In it, a spirited young woman struggles to earn an honest living and find true love with one of the American officers.

In 1983, Vichit was awarded an honorary doctorate in Communication Arts by Chulalongkorn University and was honored in 1987 by Thailand's National Culture Commission as a National Artist.

Legacy

In 2005, the Bangkok International Film Festival included four films by Vichit in a retrospective: "First Wife", "Mountain People", "Son of the Northeast" and "Her Name is Boonrawd". The festival also gave its annual Lifetime Achievement Award to Vichit, presenting it to his widow.

The festival program noted that: "Vichit Kounavudhi is regarded today as a master of the Thai motion picture industry - one of the greatest inspirations to later generations of filmmakers, praised as a genius of directing, screenwriting and editing. What makes his films special is not sophisticated technique, but an exceptional clarity and concision."

Partial filmography

* "Operation Bangkok" (1966)
* "Top Secret" (1967)
* "First Wife" ("Mia Luang") (1978)
* "Mountain People" ("Khon Phukao") (1979)
* "Son of the Northeast" ("Look Isan") (1982)
* "Her Name is Boonrawd" (1985)

References

*Bangkok International Film Festival (2005). [http://www.bangkokfilm.org/2005/download/Vichit.pdf Festival program] .
*Wee, Brandon (2005). " [http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/festivals/05/35/bangkok2005.html Nationalism for the Main Course] ", "Senses of Cinema". Retrieved December 24, 2005.
*Baldwin, Kim (2005). " [http://www.notesfromhollywood.com/page.cfm?Sectionid=8&typeofsite=storydetail&ID=827&storyset=yes A Festival to Remember] ", "Notes from Hollywood". Retrieved December 24, 2005.

External links

*imdb name|id=1001225|name=Vichit Kounavudhi
* [http://www.thaifilmdb.com/en/pp01463 Vichit Kounavudhi] at the [http://www.thaifilmdb.com Thai Film Database]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Son of the Northeast — Infobox Film name = Son of the Northeast caption = The Thai VCD cover. director = Vichit Kounavudhi producer = writer = Vichit Kounavudhi Kampoon Boonthavee (novel) narrator = starring = music = cinematography = Porniti Virayasiri editing =… …   Wikipedia

  • Cinema of Thailand — Southeast Asian cinema Cinema of Burma Cinema of Cambodia Cinema of Indonesia Cinema of Malaysia Cinema of the Philippines Cinema of Singapore Cine …   Wikipedia

  • Cinema thailandais — Cinéma thaïlandais Cinéma d Asie du Sud Est Cinéma cambodgien Cinéma indonésien Cinéma laotien Cinéma malais …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cinéma Thaïlandais — Cinéma d Asie du Sud Est Cinéma cambodgien Cinéma indonésien Cinéma laotien Cinéma malais …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cinéma thailandais — Cinéma thaïlandais Cinéma d Asie du Sud Est Cinéma cambodgien Cinéma indonésien Cinéma laotien Cinéma malais …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Cinéma thaïlandais — L histoire du cinéma thaïlandais commence avec les prémisses du cinéma, quand la visite à Berne du Roi Chulalongkorn, est immortalisée sur pellicule par Francois Henri Lavancy Clarke en 1897. Le film a ensuite été emporté à Bangkok, pour y être… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • List of Thailand-related articles — Thailand, known officially as the Kingdom of Thailand (IPAEng|ˈtaɪlænd, th. ราชอาณาจักรไทย, IPA2|râːtɕʰa ʔaːnaːtɕɑ #x0300;k tʰɑj) is a country in Southeast Asia. To its east lie Laos and Cambodia; to its south, the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia;… …   Wikipedia

  • 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival — The 2005 Bangkok International Film Festival started on January 13 and ran until January 24. The Golden Kinnaree Awards were announced on January 21.Awards Golden Kinnaree International Competition * Best Film: The Sea Inside (Mar adentro),… …   Wikipedia

  • Rattana Pestonji — Infobox actor name = Rattana Pestonji bgcolour = silver imagesize = 90px caption = Pioneering Thai film director. birthname = Rattan Pestonji birthdate = birth date|1908|5|22|mf=y birthplace = Bangkok, Thailand deathdate = death date and… …   Wikipedia

  • List of Thai film directors — This list of Thai film directors is incomplete. Please help by adding to it. It is customary for Thais to be grouped by their given name, not their family name, even if they have taken a Western name.A*Adirek Wattaleela ( Uncle ) *Aditya Assarat… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”