Birth of Golden Snail
2018 / 16 mm. film and color painted on film /silent / black&white / 20 min
Synopsis
Birth of Golden Snail is a short film based on the history of Khao Kha Nab Nam, Krabi, Thailand during the pre-historic and WWII. It navigates the boundaries between fiction and folktale, that are filled with fantasy, and historical facts. It also plays with the physicality of the natural cave being transformed into a screening space and the internal spaces within the film. Similar to early cinema, using black and white film and film projector conveys a metaphor about the origin of early films and the origin of human beings; starting from the dark cave of motherhood into the illumination of the outer world.
This film produced on a 16mm film, with the Khao Khanab Nam cave in Krabi as a backdrop. This film is used to be a part of Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018 but it was censored and banned because of the content may be against peace, morality, national security and dignity of Thailand according to the act of film and video 2008, article 29.
Film Festivals, Exhibitions, Screenings and Events
| 2019 |
• • • |
30th Singapore International Film Festival, 21 November - 1 December 2019, Singapore
Beijing International Short Film Festival, Mirage Competition (International Competition for Experimental Short Film), 29 November - 9 December 2019, Beijing, China The 23rd Thai Short Film & Video Festival, with live music by Taratawan Krue-on, 14 December 2019, Thailand |
| 2020 |
• • |
Bangkok Critics Assembly award 2019, screening for nominated short films, online screening, 27 June 2020, Thailand
The 7th Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition – ANIMA at Hong-gah Museum and Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB), 16 October 2020 – 17 January 2021, Taipei, Taiwan |
เสวนา ‘กู้อิสรภาพหนังไทย’สู้เพื่อขยับเพดานเสรีภาพ-ยกเลิกการแบน-รวมกลุ่มคนทำหนัง
Thailand Biennale
ชวนลงใต้ดูงานศิลป์กับ 5 งานสุดปังใน Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018
Birth of Golden Snail
Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018: exhibition catalogue
A note on Thailand Biennale
By Emma Ting, An Interview with Chulayarnnon Siriphol, director of Birth of Golden Snail, 30th Singapore International Film Festival, Singapore
Q&A : Doc Club Online Theater #6
By Matthew Hunt, Thai Cinema Uncensored
The process of painting on film
Installation view of 35 mm. film projector at Khao Kha Nab Nam cave, Krabi, Thailand which was one of the venues for Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018
A diary "My Biennale"
15 June 2018
I got an email to inform that I got selected to be a part of Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018 from Open Call Jury Panel. Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018 was organised by Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture.
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31 August 2018
I signed the agreement contract and got the first and second payment for the film production.
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17 October 2018
After I finished editing the first draft, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture asked me to see my film, Birth of Golden Snail, before the screening in Thailand Biennale Krabi 2018. I sent the preview video link to the committee and I also joined this meeting to explain about my idea and concept. After my presentation, the committee asked me to re-edit and cut some scenes out from the film because they were afraid of negative feedback from local people in Krabi. I understood the comments from the committee but I refused to censor my film because of the reason below.
I as an artist. After the artist already finished his or her art works. He or she did the best as much as he or she can. When the art works are released to public, the art works would be belong to the public and can be criticized.
At this point, I did the best as much as I can. I cannot change or cut any scene out from this film. I would like to screen this film in the complete version to the local and international audiences. After the screening, if there are any problems with locals, committee or international audiences, we can have a public dialogue, not private dialogue between artist, curators, OCAC, committee, international audiences and local people so that we can understand each others much more and find the way out. However, after the dialogue, this film may be cut, banned or censored. This would not be decided by the artist himself or herself but this should be decided on behalf of the authority.
Chulayarnnon
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1 November 2018
How does an artist become a criminal?
According to the meeting of Thailand Biennale’s committee on 17 October 2018 at Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, the committee asked me to re-edit and cut some scenes out from my film.
I refused to re-edit and cut some scenes out by myself because my film has completed. However, this film may be cut, banned or censored. This would not be decided by me but this should be decided on behalf of the authority.
So, I decided to print this film on 35 mm. film in completed version without any re-editing. When Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) realized that I refused to re-edit the film by myself. OCAC asked me for the advices to re-edit the film by themselves. These are my advices.
1. Use a cover to block the light from 35 mm. film projector
2. Paint black color on 35 mm. film
3. Re-edit and cut some scenes out, and print a new film
This process is responsibility of OCAC. I wouldn’t involve in this process. Finally, OCAC didn’t accept any advice.
1 November 2018, one day before the grand opening of Thailand Biennale, Krabi, 2018. I got a letter from Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture.
When I opened the letter, I found the text below.
To Chulayarnnon Siriphol
According to the meeting of Thailand Biennale’s committee, the committee asked the artist to cut some scenes out from the film because of the content may be against peace, morality, national security and dignity of Thailand in the act of film and video 2008, article 29.
Office of Contemporary Art and Culture would like you to re-edit your film, Birth of Golden Snail, 2018 according to the committee’s suggestion. After re-editing, you have to present the re-edited version to the committee before screening to public in Thailand Biennale, Krabi, 2018.
After I read this letter, I had questions.
1. This film is in the context and a part of an art event. Is it possible to use this article in this case? Because this film can be an artwork, not a film.
2. The authority who has power to use this article is only censorship board? Does Office of Contemporary Art and Culture also has power to use this article?
3. This article controls this film only in Krabi during the biennale between 2 November 2018 – 28 February 2019?
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7 November 2018
After I got the letter from the organizer. They asked me to re-edit or cut off some scenes out from the film "Birth of Golden Snail”. On 7 November 2018, I presented a new proposal. I will screen the white light from 35 mm. film projector on the cave's wall for 20 minutes which is as long as the original film. I also give a screenplay of the film to the audiences to read. The audiences can imagine what will be on the screen by themselves.
Finally, this proposal was not accepted from Thailand Biennale’s committee.
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3 December 2018
After I got the letter from Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture, I asked to cut some scenes from the film I made. I used to propose projecting the white light in the cave but this proposal was not approved.
This time, I proposed Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture again. I would like to present a trailer for 2 minutes. However, this proposal was not approved.
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14 January 2019
After Office of Contemporary Art and Culture asked me to cut some scenes from my own film, Birth of Golden Snail, I proposed projecting the white light in the cave but this proposal was not approved. After that I proposed Office of Contemporary Art and Culture again. I would like to present a trailer for 2 minutes. However, this proposal was also not approved.
This time, I proposed the re-editing film for 8.41 minutes. Two weeks later, I didn't get any reply from Office of Contemporary Art and Culture. When I asked for the progress, the answer is now is in the process of consideration. Finally, this proposal was also not approved.
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17 March 2019
I got a letter from Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture to cancel the agreement I did for Thailand Bienniale Krabi 2018 because Office of Contemporary Art and Culture blamed me that I didn’t follow the agreement. Here is the details.
...According to the agreement of Thailand Bienniale Krabi 2018 on 31 August 2018, no.5 The artist has to follow the suggestion of Bienniale’s committee. The committee suggested the artist to re-edit the film on 17 October 2018 and 2 November 2018 but the artist refused to follow their suggestion. Even the artist already re-edit the film following the suggestion but it took too long time after the deadline which mean the artist broke the agreement. So, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture would like to cancel the project according to the agreement no.8 which said that “when the artist refused to follow the suggestion of bienniale’s committee, the artist accepted that the bienniale’s committee can cancel the project. Moreover the bienniale’s committee can asked for money back from the artist”.
In the letter, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture blamed me that I took so much time to re-edit my film despite I tried to re-edit my film for 3 times and the bienniale’s committee took time around a month to consider each time. Finally, my attempt to re-edit the film every time was not approved from the bienniale’s committee.
This letter would like to tell me that Office of Contemporary Art and Culture wouldn’t pay me the third (last) payment which is for the installation despite I already installed 35 mm. film projector in Khao Khanabnam cave. I have to pre-paid the transportation of the film projector from Bangkok to Krabi and Krabi to Bangkok by myself.
This letter Office of Contemporary Art and Culture claimed themselves as an employer and me, the artist, as an employee. It’s not relationship between the art organization of government and the artist who has freedom of creativity. It’s the relationship between the employer and the employee that the employee has to follow the employer’s suggestion otherwise the employee has to pay some money back.
So, all artists should have freedom of expression through their artworks without intervention from any authorities.
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30 April 2019
After my film, Birth of Golden Snail, was banned from Thailand Bienniale Krabi 2018, I got an inspiration to create a live performance “Parade of Golden Snail” on 30 April 2019, 6 P.M. at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
This Live performance was a part of Field Trip Project Asia-Thailand.
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Installation view of The 7th Taiwan International Video Art Exhibition – ANIMA at Hong-gah Museum and Taiwan Contemporary Culture Lab (C-LAB), 16 October 2020 – 17 January 2021, Taipei, Taiwan
SHORT FILM / MOVING IMAGE WORK
FEATURE FILM
SOLO EXHIBITION
