Rattana Pestonji facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rattana Pestonji
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Pioneering Thai film director.
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Rattan Pestonji
22 May 1908 Bangkok, Thailand
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| Died | 17 August 1970 (aged 62) Bangkok, Thailand
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| Other names | R. D. Pestonji |
| Occupation | Film director, cinematographer, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1930s–1970 |
| Awards | Asia Pacific Film Festival Best cinematography 1954, Santi-Vina |
Rattana Pestonji (Thai: รัตน์ เปสตันยี; RTGS: Rat Pesatanyi, 22 May 1908 – 17 August 1970) was a very important Thai film director, producer, and writer. Many people call him the "father of modern Thai film".
Even though he made only a few movies, his work helped Thai cinema become known around the world. He was always trying new things, like being one of the first Thai directors to use better 35-mm film. Rattana sadly passed away while giving a speech. He was asking the government to support Thai movies, which he felt were being overshadowed by Hollywood films.
Contents
About Rattana Pestonji
His Early Life Story
Rattana Pestonji was born in Bangkok, Thailand, on May 22, 1908. His family came from Parsi roots in India and followed the Zoroastrian religion.
From a young age, Rattana loved photography. He was so good at taking cameras apart and putting them back together! Because of this, his family decided he should study engineering at the University of London in England.
While studying in London, he took many photos. He even won several awards in photography contests. After getting his engineering degree, he came back to Thailand. He still loved photography and found a job selling film. This job helped him learn more about filmmaking, which was a new art form at the time.
Making His First Movies
In 1937, Rattana made his first short film called Tang. It was about a young Thai girl. This film won a competition in Scotland, and the famous director Alfred Hitchcock gave Rattana the top award!
He made another short film called White Boat in 1939. This film was shown at the New York World Festival.
Rattana kept working in film sales. But in 1949, he got a big chance to work on a movie. Prince Bhanu Yugala asked him to be the cameraman for a film called Phanthaay Norasingh. Rattana showed amazing talent as a cinematographer, which means he was great at filming scenes.
Around this time, Rattana started his own film company, called Hanuman Films. In 1951, he directed his first full-length movie, Dear Dolly.
Trying New Things in Film
Rattana always wanted to try new things in his movies. He aimed to make each film better than the last. Back then, most Thai movies used 16 mm film. The sound was added later, which often made it sound a bit off.
But Rattana wanted to use 35 mm film. This type of film was more expensive and harder to use. However, it allowed the sound to be recorded at the same time as the picture, making movies sound much better.
His first 35-mm film was a drama called Santi-Vina. Rattana worked as the cinematographer for this film. It was directed by Thavi Na Bangchang.
Santi-Vina was one of the first Thai films to be sent to an international competition. It went to the 1954 Asia Pacific Film Festival in Tokyo. The film was a huge success! It won awards for best cinematography, best art direction, and a special award for best Asian cultural presentation.
However, when Rattana returned from the festival, he faced some challenges with the Thai government. He was charged a large tax for a camera he won. He also had to pay a fine for not getting his film approved by the Thai censor before sending it overseas.
His Career as a Director
Even with these challenges, Rattana kept working. He was the cinematographer for the romantic drama Chuafah Din Salai (Dying Forever). Then, he took on the role of director for Rongraem Narok.
For Rongraem Narok, which means Country Hotel in English, he used a special filming technique. He used only one camera on a single set, similar to how Alfred Hitchcock made his film Rope. This movie had a mix of funny parts, music, action, and exciting drama.
His first color film was Sawan Mued (Dark Heaven) in 1958. This movie included songs and dramatic scenes of battles.
Next, he made Prae Dum (Black Silk). Many people consider this to be Thailand’s first film noir movie. Film noir is a style of movie that is often dark and mysterious. Black Silk is seen as Rattana's best work. He did almost everything himself: writing, producing, directing, filming, and editing. Because of his hard work, Black Silk was shown at the 11th Berlin International Film Festival in 1961.
His last film was made in 1965, called Nahmtaan Mai Waan (Sugar Is Not Sweet). It was a fun romantic comedy. The movie had a bright, colorful style, similar to pop-art films from Western countries at that time.
His Final Speech and Legacy
Even though Rattana was respected as an artist, his films often had sad endings. This meant they were not always very popular with audiences.
Feeling a bit frustrated, he stopped making movies. But he still stayed involved in the film industry. He worked hard to get support for Thai films. He even helped start and lead the Thai Film Producers Association.
On August 17, 1970, Rattana was giving a speech at a meeting in Bangkok. He was talking to film producers and government officials. The meeting was about how to help the Thai film industry.
At 9 PM, after many other people had spoken, it was Rattana's turn. He talked about how he started in the movie business. He said he spent all his money on his films and had to make advertisements just to earn a living. He also mentioned that foreign film companies were making it hard for Thai cinemas.
Suddenly, Rattana stumbled and fell. He was quickly taken to the hospital, but he passed away three hours later from a heart attack.
Rattana's death was a big loss for the growing Thai film industry. Later that same year, Thailand also lost its biggest movie star, Mitr Chaibancha, in a filming accident.
A few days after Rattana's death, the government did create the Thai Film Promotion Board. This board was meant to help promote and encourage investment in Thai films. However, even today, the Thai film industry still doesn't get much direct government support. Foreign films continue to be very popular in Thailand.
Still, Rattana's influence can be seen today. Many modern Thai directors, like Wisit Sasanatieng, say his films were a major inspiration for them. Wisit Sasanatieng's famous film Tears of the Black Tiger was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.
The film company Rattana started, Hanuman Films, is still run by his sons, Edal and Santa. It is now called Santa International Film Productions. They provide technical help and equipment for foreign film productions. His son Santa Pestonji even directed a remake of Santi-Vina in 1976. The original Santi-Vina was thought to be lost for many years, but copies were found in 2015! After being fixed up, it was shown at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival.
Rattana's films are still shown at film festivals sometimes. The 10th Pusan International Film Festival showed Sugar Is Not Sweet, Black Silk, Country Hotel, and Dark Heaven. He also received a special Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival after his death.
The R. D. Pestonji Award, which is the top prize at the Thai Short Film and Video Festival, is named in his honor.
Filmography
- Tang (short film) (1937) – (Thai: แตง)
- White Boat (short film) (1939)
- Phanthaay Norasingh (Oarman Norasingh) (cinematographer) (1949) – (Thai: พันท้ายนรสิงห์)
- Tukkata Jaa (Dear Dolly) (1951) – (Thai: ตุ๊กตาจ๋า)
- Santi-Vina (cinematographer) (1954) – (Thai: สันติ-วีณา)
- Chuafah Din Salai (Forever Yours) (cinematographer) (1955) – (Thai: ชั่วฟ้าดินสลาย)
- Rongraem Narok (Country Hotel) (1957) – (Thai: โรงแรมนรก)
- Sawan Mued (Dark Heaven) (1958) – (Thai: สวรรค์มืด)
- Phrae Dum (Black Silk) (1961) – (Thai: แพรดำ)
- Namtarn Mai Warn (Sugar Is Not Sweet) (1964) – (Thai: น้ำตาลไม่หวาน)
