RED ANINSRI; OR, TIPTOEING ON THE STILL TREMBLING BERLIN WALL
DIRECTED BY RATCHAPOOM BOONBUNCHACHOKE
THAILAND // 2020
30 MINS
The queer espionage film made in the tradition of Cold-War-era Thai dubbed film. A ladyboy prostitute-cum-spy is assigned a mission to disguise as a cis-masculine gay to acquire important information from a student activist.
Reflective Encounters
“What defines a character? Their job, their likes and dislikes, their politics, how others see them? Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall explores every aspect of a character’s identity - from appearance, dialogue, and even voice. The film is stylized to evoke classic spy thrillers, the rounded edges of the frame transporting the viewer to the distant past, while the bright colours, modern ideas and gender play cement the narrative in the present. The film follows Insri, a Bangkok prostitute and spy who goes undercover as Inn, in the hopes of snaring an enemy of the state in a honey trap. As the film progresses, Insiri’s identity is scrutinized both by themselves and the characters around them.
As viewers we are often comfortable defining characters; it is often essential to a narrative to utilize character tropes, especially within genre films where the use of archetypes establishes both story and tone. This offering comes from director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, a Thai screenwriter whose work includes commercial features and television programmes and here he is clearly having a blast playing with expectations of narrative, character and style. Red Aninsri not only deconstructs identity, it also reframes long-established cinematic tropes and offers a wholly unique viewing experience as it does so.”
— Vithiya Murugadas
Filmmaker Q&A
A Q&A with filmmakers from the Sparks Fly programme at Encounters Film Festival 2021.
Filmmakers - Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke (Red Aninsri), Danech San (Sunrise in my Mind) and Killah Bowes (Staying)
Hosted by Ren Scateni, Encounters Head of Programme.
Fiolmmaker Bio
Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke is a Thai filmmaker, born, brought up and based in Bangkok. He graduated from the film department of Chulalongkorn University. Currently he works full-time as a scriptwriter for the studio, writing commercial features and television series.
Apart from writing he also teaches film theory and scriptwriting in the universities and works as a film critic. In 2020, Ratchapoom was selected to participate in Berlinale Talents program as part of Berlin International Film Festival.
His short film “Red Aninsri; Or, Tiptoeing on the Still Trembling Berlin Wall” was selected to be in Pardi di Domani at Locarno 2020 which was rewarded by Junior Jury, the Best International Short Film award.