Abstract
The year 2023 marked a resurgence for Thai cinema, highlighted by the successes of The Undertaker and Death Whisperer, which brought rural narratives and socio-cultural themes to the forefront. Produced by Thibaan Studio, The Undertaker became Thailand’s highest-grossing film of the year, while Death Whisperer engaged audiences with its haunting portrayal of family and community resilience in rural Thailand. Additionally, The Murderer, the first Northeastern dialect film to premiere on Netflix, demonstrates the global reach of localized storytelling. Together, these films signal a shift in Thai cinema, where authentic portrayals of rural life highlight issues such as cultural adaptation, economic hardship, and the negotiation between tradition and modernity. This analysis employs Henry Jenkins’ concept of media convergence and John Urry’s mobilities framework to examine how these films engage global audiences. Jenkins’ notion of convergence highlights how platforms like Netflix connect local stories with international viewers, as demonstrated by The Murderer’s success. Urry’s mobilities framework further illustrates the transformation of regional films into transnational cultural flows, emphasizing the balance between local specificity and global accessibility. By centering rural narratives, these films challenge urban-centric depictions in Thai cinema, promoting a richer representation of Thai culture that engages critically with social challenges and cultural identity in a globalized world.
Author Information
Sopawan Boonnimitra, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
Peerachai Kerdsint, Bangkok University, Thailand
Paper Information
Conference: KAMC2024
Stream: Film Studies
This paper is part of the KAMC2024 Conference Proceedings (View)
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To cite this article:
Boonnimitra S., & Kerdsint P. (2024) Rural Narratives and Media Convergence in Thai Cinema ISSN: 2436-0503 – The Kyoto Conference on Arts, Media & Culture 2024: Official Conference Proceedings (pp. 497-508) https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2024.43
To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.22492/issn.2436-0503.2024.43
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