Chatrichalerm Yukol facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
|
|
|---|---|
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol in 2007
|
|
| Born | 29 November 1942 Bangkok, Siam |
| Spouse |
|
| Issue |
|
| House | Yukol (Chakri dynasty) |
| Father | Anusorn Mongkolkarn |
| Mother | Ubol Yukol na Ayudhya |
| Occupation |
|
| Styles of Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reference style | His Serene Highness |
| Spoken style | Your Serene Highness |
| Alternative style | Sir |
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol (Thai: หม่อมเจ้าชาตรีเฉลิม ยุคล; born 29 November 1942) is a well-known Thai film director, writer, and producer. People often call him by his nickname, Mui. He is also recognized as a National Artist in Thailand for his work in movies and TV dramas. As a member of the Thai royal family, his official title is Mom Chao. This is the most junior royal title still considered part of the royal family.
Prince Chatrichalerm has directed many films since the 1970s. Some of his most famous movies are the historical epics The Legend of Suriyothai (2001) and King Naresuan (2007). Queen Sirikit supported him in making these big historical films. Four of his movies were chosen by Thailand to be considered for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. These films include The Elephant Keeper, Song for Chao Phya, Daughter 2, and King of Fire. He also helped judge films at the 31st Berlin International Film Festival in 1981.
Contents
Discovering Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol's Life
Early Life and Education
Prince Chatrichalerm grew up in a family connected to filmmaking. His parents, Prince Anusorn Mongkolkarn and Mom Ubol Yukol Na Ayudhya, were filmmakers themselves. They even started their own film company. His uncle, Prince Bhanu Yukol, was also a very important person in early Thai cinema.
Prince Chatrichalerm went to school in Australia. After that, he studied at the UCLA in the United States. He earned a degree in geology, which is the study of Earth's physical structure. He also studied film. In his film classes, he learned alongside famous directors like Francis Ford Coppola and Roman Polanski. He even worked as an assistant to a director and producer named Merian C. Cooper. Interestingly, Prince Chatrichalerm's grandfather had helped Cooper film Chang in Thailand back in 1927. This movie was made by the same people who later created the famous King Kong.
Making Early Films
Even though he is famous for Suriyothai, Prince Chatrichalerm started making movies much earlier. His very first film was Out of the Darkness in 1971. This was the first science fiction movie ever made in Thailand.
He was part of a new group of Thai directors. These directors made movies that showed important changes happening in society. One of his notable films was Khao Chue Karn, also known as Dr. Karn. This movie was based on a popular story. It talked about corruption in Thai society. The film came out just before big student protests for democracy in 1973.
Even though he was a prince, the government censor wanted to cut parts of the film. But Prince Chatrichalerm personally showed the movie to the leader at the time. He convinced the leader to let the film be shown without any cuts. This showed his dedication to telling important stories.
Movies with a Social Message
Prince Chatrichalerm's films often showed the lives of ordinary people. He focused on the poor and working classes. Examples include Freedom of Taxi Driver (1984) and Song for Chao Phya. Many of his movies also featured exciting action scenes. These include Gunman (1983), Salween (1993), and The Colonel (1974).
Three of his films from this time were chosen by Thailand to be submitted for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. These were The Elephant Keeper, Song for Chao Phya, and Daughter 2.
Creating Royal Epics
Around 1999, Prince Chatrichalerm began his most ambitious film project. This was The Legend of Suriyothai. It was a grand movie about a 16th-century Siamese queen named Suriyothai. Queen Sirikit and the royal family supported this huge production. The film was originally planned to be eight hours long. When it was shown in Thai cinemas, it was nearly three hours long. A shorter version was released in the United States in 2003. This version was edited and "presented by" Francis Ford Coppola, his old classmate from UCLA.
After Suriyothai, Prince Chatrichalerm started an even bigger project. This was King Naresuan. It tells the story of Naresuan, another important Siamese monarch from the 16th century. This movie was even grander than Suriyothai. Naresuan was first released in two parts in 2007. The second part, called King of Fire, was submitted by Thailand for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. A third part of the series was also planned.
Awards and Recognition
Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol has received several important awards for his work:
- 2001 - He received the Thailand National Artist Award for Performing Art (Movie and Drama).
- 2004 - He won the Lotus Award for Lifetime Achievement at the World Film Festival of Bangkok.
- 2006 - He was given the Suphannahong National Film Awards Lifetime Achievement Award.
Filmography
- Out of the Darkness (Mun Ma Kub Kwam Mued) (1971)
- Dr. Karn (Khao Chue Karn) (1973)
- The Colonel (Pom Mai Yak Pen Pan To) (1974)
- Hotel Angel (Thep Thida Rong Raem) (1974)
- Last Love (Kuam Rak Krang Suthai) (1975)
- The Violent Breed (Thewada Doen Din) (1975)
- Dangerous Modelling (1975)
- Angel Who Walks on the Ground (1976)
- Citizen I (1977)
- Kama (1978)
- The Yellowing of the Sky (Before the Storm) (1980)
- If You Still Love (1982)
- Gunman (Meu peun) (1983)
- Detective, Section 123 (1984)
- Freedom of Taxi Driver (Citizen II) (1984)
- Somsee (1986)
- The Elephant Keeper (Khon Liang Chang) (1987)
- Song for Chao Phraya (1990)
- Salween (Gunman 2) (1993)
- Daughter (Sia Dai) (1996)
- Daughter 2 (Sia Dai 2) (1997)
- Box (Klong) (1998)
- The Legend of Suriyothai (2001)
- Last Love (remake) (2003)
- King Naresuan (2006–2015)
- Panthai-Norasing (2015)
