Stockholm Film Festival

Controversial British director Thomas Clay challenges the audience with a film based on the complicated relationship between a Western man and a Thai woman. They meet in Soi Cowboy, the red-light district of Bangkok, where they begin a silent relationship based on mutual exploitation. She alleviates his longing for love, and he provides an escape from prostitution. However, sex increasingly becomes an unwanted obligation for the woman. Meanwhile, a parallel storyline unravels, of a mafia enforcer in the countryside.

Soi Cowboy is Clay’s second feature, following his thought-provoking and nauseating The Great Ecstasy of Robert Carmichael (2005). At first, the protagonists are being closely examined through black-and-white footage and well-composed, precise frames. But as their personas develop, the footage switches to saturated images, shot with a hand-held camera. This technical approach also helps to underline the rural versus urban diversity of Thailand, a mix that strongly defines its culture.

Premiere Status

Nordic Premiere

Cast

Nicolas Bro, Somluk Kuamsing, Petch Mekoh, Natee Srimanta, Pimwalee Thampanyasan

Producer

Joseph Lang, Tom Wallner

Script

Thomas Clay

Cinematography

Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

Spoken language

Thai, English

 

Other films from the Competition section

See all the festival films from 2008