News & Updates
18.11.19 Gala Premiere of THE CAVE and film location and behind-the-scene exhibition
The PI met the writer/director and owner of De Warrenne Pictures, Tom Waller earlier in the year at the talk on films shot in Thailand and questions on exotic representations at the Thai Film Archive. The director later kindly invited us to the premiere of his much talked about film The Cave (2019) which tells the story of the collaborative efforts across different countries and cave diver experts to rescure young footballers and his coach who were trapped in the cave in the North of Thailand due to flash flood.
What is interesting in terms of the film location for the film is that this is a story of a real place which has many layers of personal and collective memories involved, some may also be senstive ones. The stories of the 13 boys were also given the rights by the government to a Hollywood production house, which means other films have to tell other stories. The Cave focuses on the British expert cave diver and others he counter during the event.
During the premiere of The Cave, there was an interesting exhibition featuring photos from the film set - using a large swimming pool to constuct the cave for the film. [The excellent photograher for the exhibition is Jack, who also attended our film location industry talk along with Tix Xamavee one of our speakers and provided us with excellent photos of the event!] He was there at the premiere busy taking photos of all the guests. Some of the diving gears and safety materails used in the film were also on display. This kind of launch gave something a bit more for audiences beyond the introduction of the cast and crew and the photo opportunity with star guests.
To what extent the story of the global media engagement related to this event is being told as part of the exhibition that the government developed near the real location is yet to be found out. Tham Luang Nang Non is in Mae Sai district in Chaing Rai, which streches along the Myanmar border. It is a public site which has since become more well-known. From what I saw in the news (link below), the newly constructed exhibition hall very much narrates the story of heros with traditional Thai nationalist decor, mood and tone. Imagining being a visitor, what I would like to see as part of the site visit is probably story about the cave, cave diving, and health and safety procedures.
Footage and news of the new museum in local Thai news:
