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