15th New York Asian Film Festival

Jun 22 - Jul 9, 2016

FilmsGuestsSchedule & Tickets

Photo: © Kantana Motion Pictures

North American Premiere

Grace

อวสานโลกสวย

This cyber-stalking thriller from Thailand spins a violent tale of internet fame gone awry and innocence gone down the tubes. Bubbly schoolgirls Care and Ple set up a Facebook fansite for Care (Napasasi Surawan) in an attempt to turn her into an online idol. Her looks and positive outlook rapidly gain her followers, but Care's newfound popularity attracts the attention of Grace (Apinya Sakuljaroensuk), an unhinged ex-idol who devises a kidnapping plot with her number-one fan Jack (Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich) to teach Care a thing or two about the real world. Sakuljaroensuk is an absolutely fabulous villain: stunning, smart, and sassy, she brings an undercurrent of dark humor and clearly relishes playing the role of the psychotic teen. Flashing between Grace's backstory and the violently escalating kidnapping, the film enters some pretty gnarly territory and certainly has a bone to pick with our social-media-obsessed culture.

Directors: Onusa Donsawai, Pun Homchuen
Cast: Nutthasit Kotimanuswanich, Latthgarmon Pinrojnkeerathi, Napasasi Surawan, Apinya Sakuljaroensuk
Languages: Thai with English subtitles
2016; 90 min.; DCP

SCHEDULE:

Sunday July 3, 9:00pm
Film Society of Lincoln Center

Q&A with Apinya Sakuljaroensuk

Apinya Sakuljaroensuk
อภิญญา สกุลเจริญสุข

Apinya 'Saiparn' Sakuljaroensuk made a striking acting debut in the title role of Pen-ek Ratanaruang's Ploy, which premiered in Cannes' Directors' Fortnight in 2007. To age the 16-year-old Sakuljaroensuk, she was given a distinctive afro hairstyle for her role as a young woman stranded at a hotel bar. She has since acted in 25 feature films, working with leading mainstream directors such as Bhandit Rittakol (Boonchu 9), Prachya Pinkaew (4Romance), Paween Purijitpanya (4bia) and Yuthlert Sippapak (Friday Killer). Since Ploy, she has also continued to work in Thai independent cinema, winning award for her keenly-observed performances in Tongpong Chantarangkul's I Carried You Home and Lee Chatametikool's Concrete Clouds. She is currently a student at Rangsit University where she also teaches acting. After a two-year absence — during which she directed three short films — she returns to the big screen in 2016 with social media slasher-horror Grace and Anocha Suwichakornpong's upcoming, multi-threaded By The Time It Gets Dark.