Wed March 19, 2014
Karaoke Girl, Visra Vichit-Vadakan (Thailand, 2012)
SEE EVENT DETAILS
at Pacific Film Archive (PFA) Theater
(see times)
In Person/Visra Vichit-Vadakan
In the karaoke clubs of Thailand, a girl can be had for a song—but do you have ears for the song she sings? Sa Sittijun warbles of a hidden life in this inviting film that’s part documentary, part fictionalized telling of her story. Born to hardscrabble farmer parents in rural Thailand, Sa is devalued from the moment of her birth, and lives on the downside of gender and class hierarchies. She makes her way to Bangkok to find work—first in a cake factory, breaking eggs, and then as a karaoke girl, breaking herself in the arms of strangers and trying to find elusive love. When she’s not alone in the frame, there’s often a disconnect, waiting. Yet there is a charming hope here: Sa emerges as a survivor and heroine. She opens the movie in tears, singing a sad ballad. But by the film’s end, she reprises the song as a full-on musical production. “Only your tonight, not your forever . . . How does a karaoke girl find love?” A touching question, sure to stir every viewer’s compassion.
—Ravi Chandra
• Written by Vadakan. Photographed by Sandi Sissel, Chananun Chotrurngroj. With Sa Sittijun, Supavich Mepremwattana, the Sittijun family. (77 mins, In Thai with English subtitles, Color, 35mm)
Preceded by Grace (Faye Viviana, U.S., 2013). A gritty, yet stunning musical illustrating a day in the life of two struggling performers. (8 mins, Color, DCP)
Total running time: 85 mins
show less
In the karaoke clubs of Thailand, a girl can be had for a song—but do you have ears for the song she sings? Sa Sittijun warbles of a hidden life in this inviting film that’s part documentary, part fictionalized telling of her story. Born to hardscrabble farmer parents in rural Thailand, Sa is devalued from the moment of her birth, and lives on the downside of gender and class hierarchies. She makes her way to Bangkok to find work—first in a cake factory, breaking eggs, and then as a karaoke girl, breaking herself in the arms of strangers and trying to find elusive love. When she’s not alone in the frame, there’s often a disconnect, waiting. Yet there is a charming hope here: Sa emerges as a survivor and heroine. She opens the movie in tears, singing a sad ballad. But by the film’s end, she reprises the song as a full-on musical production. “Only your tonight, not your forever . . . How does a karaoke girl find love?” A touching question, sure to stir every viewer’s compassion.
—Ravi Chandra
• Written by Vadakan. Photographed by Sandi Sissel, Chananun Chotrurngroj. With Sa Sittijun, Supavich Mepremwattana, the Sittijun family. (77 mins, In Thai with English subtitles, Color, 35mm)
Preceded by Grace (Faye Viviana, U.S., 2013). A gritty, yet stunning musical illustrating a day in the life of two struggling performers. (8 mins, Color, DCP)
Total running time: 85 mins
In Person/Visra Vichit-Vadakan
In the karaoke clubs of Thailand, a girl can be had for a song—but do you have ears for the song she sings? Sa Sittijun warbles of a hidden life in this inviting film that’s part documentary, part fictionalized telling of her story. Born to hardscrabble farmer parents in rural Thailand, Sa is devalued from the moment of her birth, and lives on the downside of gender and class hierarchies. She makes her way to Bangkok to find work—first in a cake factory, breaking eggs, and then as a karaoke girl, breaking herself in the arms of strangers and trying to find elusive love. When she’s not alone in the frame, there’s often a disconnect, waiting. Yet there is a charming hope here: Sa emerges as a survivor and heroine. She opens the movie in tears, singing a sad ballad. But by the film’s end, she reprises the song as a full-on musical production. “Only your tonight, not your forever . . . How does a karaoke girl find love?” A touching question, sure to stir every viewer’s compassion.
—Ravi Chandra
• Written by Vadakan. Photographed by Sandi Sissel, Chananun Chotrurngroj. With Sa Sittijun, Supavich Mepremwattana, the Sittijun family. (77 mins, In Thai with English subtitles, Color, 35mm)
Preceded by Grace (Faye Viviana, U.S., 2013). A gritty, yet stunning musical illustrating a day in the life of two struggling performers. (8 mins, Color, DCP)
Total running time: 85 mins
read more
In the karaoke clubs of Thailand, a girl can be had for a song—but do you have ears for the song she sings? Sa Sittijun warbles of a hidden life in this inviting film that’s part documentary, part fictionalized telling of her story. Born to hardscrabble farmer parents in rural Thailand, Sa is devalued from the moment of her birth, and lives on the downside of gender and class hierarchies. She makes her way to Bangkok to find work—first in a cake factory, breaking eggs, and then as a karaoke girl, breaking herself in the arms of strangers and trying to find elusive love. When she’s not alone in the frame, there’s often a disconnect, waiting. Yet there is a charming hope here: Sa emerges as a survivor and heroine. She opens the movie in tears, singing a sad ballad. But by the film’s end, she reprises the song as a full-on musical production. “Only your tonight, not your forever . . . How does a karaoke girl find love?” A touching question, sure to stir every viewer’s compassion.
—Ravi Chandra
• Written by Vadakan. Photographed by Sandi Sissel, Chananun Chotrurngroj. With Sa Sittijun, Supavich Mepremwattana, the Sittijun family. (77 mins, In Thai with English subtitles, Color, 35mm)
Preceded by Grace (Faye Viviana, U.S., 2013). A gritty, yet stunning musical illustrating a day in the life of two struggling performers. (8 mins, Color, DCP)
Total running time: 85 mins
show less
Date/Times:
Pacific Film Archive (PFA) Theater
2575 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94720
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