Thailand Bans SHAKESPEARE MUST DIE, Fearing Societal "Disunity"
The Thai Film Board has banned the film Shakespeare Must Die, an adaptation of Macbeth, "because censors feared it would cause disunity in Thai society," according to Wise Kwai's Thai Film Journal.
Wise Kwai provided further context, noting that Shakespeare Must Die is only the second film to be banned under the Film Act of 2008. He also embedded the film's trailer, which he says "shows that the film plays on images from Thailand's turbulent and violent political past, including the 2010 anti-government red-shirt protests and the 1976 Thammasat Massacre, in which a hanging corpse was beaten with a chair."
In their report, Film Business Asia adds: "The film-makers say that the reasons given to them for the ban were very broad and not limited to an offensive scene. They say they will appeal against the decision."
Co-director Manit Sriwanichpoom told Bangkok Post: "This is a Shakespeare story. It's a tale of greed and lust for power. Since we're banned, I wonder if Thai film-makers are allowed to have opinions, to criticise and to reflect on the reality of the situation.
"There's a lot of talk about democracy, and I don't know how our film is undemocratic."
The trailer is embedded below.
