Insects In The Backyard

[Bumpa STIKKA]

Thailand€™s ultra conservative film board has banned a movie about a transgendered father struggling to raise two children, something the director says highlights the conservative side of Thai society despite its freewheeling reality.

The National Film Board ruled earlier this week that the film, €˜Insects in the Backyard€™, cannot be shown in Thailand because it contains scenes that are immoral and pornographic! Which is a bit of a joke as the whole country relies on a tourist income that thrives on the immoral and pornographic!

Authorities are too pussy minded to post a public explanation of the ban issued on Wednesday, but some culture and film officials said the board objected to several scenes, including at least one that showed an explicit depiction of two men having sex.

Blimey - who would have thought it... two men having sex in Thailand!

Of course parading transsexuals around like freaks on day time TV is quite alright. If you are having a good laugh at them it seems that you are morally fine.

Director Tanwarin Sukkhapisit (who herself is a transsexual) said the scenes were crucial to the story line and could not be cut and she plans to appeal the ban.

€œThe problem with my film wasn€™t that it was a gay-themed movie €” because there are many gay comedies allowed in Thailand,€ Tanwarin said in a telephone interview Friday. €œMy movie was banned because it was a serious movie. It showed there can be real problems when society cannot accept sexual differences.€

Once again the Thai authorities act out of step with the public they serve and once again they are the laughing stock of the democratic world.

The trailer is HERE!

[transcebu]

Thanks Bumpa,
Looks interesting, but the worst trailer I've even seen, in terms of attracting an audience.

Well, authorities tend to always walk out of step with anyone with a brain and an interest in truth.

[pacman]

For all the talk of what a tolerant society Thailand is & how accepting they are of their katoey population, it only takes something like this to expose the hypocrisy behind the lie.

And who are the insects of the title? Transexuals? The children? Either way it is used in a pejorative sense to denigrate people who don't fit into the idealised Thai model.

Just look at their word for us - farang. Another example of how they will mock those they don't respect.

Thailand needs to confront their social problems & allow movies like this to be released so as to encourage public debate. Then reality might just be able to catch up with the rhetoric about what great people they all are.

[guydesavoy]

Maybe they thought the title was 'Incest in the Backyard'

[Bumpa STIKKA]

(pacman @ Dec. 26 2010,10:55) & allow movies like this to be released so as to encourage public debate...

Ironically; by banning the movie this is just what they have done! Doh!