Viriya Chotpanyavisut: Late Summer in Bangkok
“Every movement of light particles, every incident of a reflection –– these delicate, ephemeral things are like breaths of light. These phenomena can be perceived in the temperature, air humidity, and dust particles, and the camera makes it possible to halt such minute movements, from the change of colour to saturation in the atmosphere. The camera shows us that some things do come from nothing.”
Overview
Late summer in Bangkok was filmed at the end of April 2016, on the hottest day in Thailand that year. The meteorology department reported a temperature of 44.6 degrees Celsius. The extreme temperatures caused a series of unusually heavy storms. This film documented one great lightning storm that filled the Bangkok sky that day at the Chao Phraya River, which is often seen as the link between the urban and rural.
At one point, in contrast to the glittering lights of the neo-liberal corporate skyline of the city, the shadow of a fisherman is seen; his impoverished reality is apparent. Above all, the work depicts those who are struggling to live while the raw, uncontrollable power of nature makes life even more difficult. The video highlights the interrelationships and constraints between man and nature that exist today.