After facing a potential ban from the Film and Video Committee, documentary film Come and See by Thai director Nottapon "Kai" Booprakob has received an approval for screening starting on April 6 exclusively at independent cinema House Samyan.
Come and See [Thai: เอหิปัสสิโก (A-Hi-Pat-Si-Go)] is Booprakob's latest attempt to scrutinize the infamous Wat Pra Dhammakaya, a supposedly Buddhist cult popular among the affluent upper middle-class in Thailand led by Dhammachayo who was charged by the military junta government with a number of illegal cases including money-laundering and possessions of stolen goods back in 2014.
The controversies regarding Dhammachayo led to the disappearance of the alleged monk, whose whereabouts has remained unknown, all the while the UFO-like temple is still open for visiting in Pathum Thani.
Booprakob's Come and See could be the very first media endeavor that tries to bring the whole Dhammakaya shambles back to the public with never-heard-before voices and sources from academics to even Dhammachayo's followers, which would reveal intriguing aspects like the deep roots of Buddhist belief in the country and the interwoven relationship between religion and politics.
The documentary was filmed in 2017 and premiered at the 24th BUSAN International Film Festival in October 2019. It's the latest work by Booprakob whose first feature film 2,215 (2018) about Thailand's beloved rocker Toon Bodyslam's legendary charity run won a prize from Thailand National Film Association Awards.
Earlier in March, the Thai Film Director Association announced on its Facebook page that Come and See could be potentially banned in Thailand due to some content in the documentary that upset certain governmental sectors. However, it has now received a yes for the public screening of the film's original version with no changes whatsoever.
House Samyan will be the sole spot for the Come and See showing, which is set to begin on April 6. Check out the poster below.
