NAKORN-SAWAN

“Nakorn Sawan”, which literally means “Heaven City” in Thai, is the name of a province north of Bangkok. It is the place where the Ping and Nan rivers merge to form Chao Phraya, the main river running through Bangkok. Believed by many Thais to be the gateway to heaven, it is the place where the characters in the film convene to send their loved one to the afterlife. Weaving together documentary footage of her mother and father—who separated when the director was a young teenager—and a fictionalized narrative performed by young actors, the film is a delicate meditation on love, loss and memory. The film has been presented at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival 2019, Golden Horse Film Festival 2018, Busan International Film Festival 2018, Hong Kong International Film Festival 2019 and the Singapore International Festival of Arts 2019.

Puangsoi Aksornsawang, also known as Rose, defines herself as a “storyteller whose aim is to make films, photography, illustration, arts and dialogue with nice people”. Originally from Bangkok, Thailand, she is currently living and studying a Master in Hamburg, Germany. Conceived as a graduation film for her master’s degree at the University of Fine Arts Hamburg, “Nakorn-Sawan” is Aksornsawang’s directorial debut.