Earlier this month, the multi-genre Thai film “The Undertaker” (Sapparer in Thai) has become one of the highest grossing films of the year—raking in Bt700 million since its debut and the craze is still going.
The film follows Cherd (played by Naruepol Yaiim), an eight-year law student who returns to his small town to take the local bar exam. In a surprising turn of events, his father falls ill and Cherd must fill his father’s role as undertaker. The other side of the story focuses on Siang (played by Chatchai Chinsi) who is struggling to communicate with the spirit of his ghost girlfriend, Bai Khao (played by Sutida Buatig).
“The Undertaker” is also a spin off from the Thibaan series, a production team that come from humble beginnings, posting a roster of skits and music videos on Facebook before gaining traction and moving on to full-length features, evolving from the boy-meets-girl schtick.
Thibaan also refers to the identity of villagers, specifically in northeastern Thailand (Isaan). With a crew and script that centers their culture, the film maps out the authentic social and cultural diversity outside the concrete jungle of Bangkok.
Thibaan is a story of young Isan teenagers Jalodd (played by Natthawut Saenyabut) who never has girlfriend and must flirt with one hundred girls by believing that there must be someone who accepts a love request. Another side, Pong, a young business man from Bangkok. He wants to open 7-Eleven in the village. But his father doesn’t accept it. Then there is Siang, who entered the monkhood to forget his first love. The second installment of “ThiBaan the Series 2” follows story lines involving several characters such as Pong, who opens a vegetarian store, and Phra Siang, a tattoo-clad monk who is heartbroken after learning of his ex-girlfriend’s death.
There has also been a spin-off featuring Kong Huayrai called Thi-Baan x BNK48 with eight members of BNK48 — Noey, Kaew, Mobile, Namneung, Kaimook, Namsai, Tarwaan and Pupe. In the movie, the girls are working on a secret special project. They have to stay in Isaan for a while. The girls have a hard time adjusting themselves into a new environment and its unfamiliar local food. They have to work on a song which combines pop and Isaan music.
All of this along with there extremely popular YouTube channel Thaibaan Channel with now has 4.55million subscribers.
The commercial success of the movie Sapparer has been phenomal, the film’s director Thiti Srinuan, known as “Tong Tae” said explained that he wanted to use this film to talk about Isan beliefs, culture and traditions. He has tried to select these stories to tell to a wider audience. He said that sometimes they like it and sometimes they don’t. But he researched all the information himself and tried to understand it.
“I felt like, wow, there is so much more to share from Isan. Now Isan has reached the mass media. In the past, Isan films were made for Isan. But now it’s about films that bring people closer to what it’s like to be Isan. People from other regions understand Isan better”.
