“I drove all around the Isan region looking for the perfect spot that would make my vision come to life,” Pisanthanakun said. The director spent two years scouting areas of the Isan region of Thailand and interviewing about 30 shamans before settling on a location for filming. “I believe that what differentiates horror films today is their unique auras - being able to create that tingly sensation of goosebumps slowly creeping up on you and leaving you feeling cold and your knees shaking.”Ī statue of the rural god the townspeople worship. “I still very much enjoy the fear that the presence of ghosts evokes in films, but nowadays, I don’t think they emit as much horror as they did before,” Pisanthanakun said. While Na believes that ghosts exist and fears them to the point where he “scrambles from his office after dark,” Pisanthanakun doesn't, and never has, believed in ghosts. So I imagined it being filmed overseas, and the image that popped into my mind was a very humid, rainy region with dense forests and unpaved roads.” Ironically, however, the two directors stand at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to their personal beliefs about ghosts and the afterlife. “I didn’t think things would change drastically merely by switching around the locations. “After I wrote the script for ‘The Medium,’ there were a lot of scenes involving shamanism and rituals, and I was faced with the problem of how much I could really deviate from ‘The Wailing,” Na said. At the press screening, Na said that he never intended to direct the film himself, perhaps cautious about it overlapping with his iconic “The Wailing,” which also deals with shamanism in a small rural town. As they prepare for the ritual, however, Nim and the rest of the family realizes in horror that within Mink isn’t the benign god that they worship, but something else - not one, but a fusion of countless evil spirits collecting inside of her.ĭirector-turned-producer Na Hong-jin poses at the press event of "The Medium" at CGV Yongsan, central Seoul. But when she comes across Mink, who is her young niece, Nim realizes that she is showing signs that she will inherit the role. “When I received the script, it was the kind of film I had never experienced before, so of course I accepted his offer.” “The Medium” centers around a shaman named Nim who works as a bridge of communication between the townspeople and the god they believe in. She took on the role after her elder sister Noi refused to inherit the job. “And there was no reason to say no,” Pisanthanakun said. The director identified himself as a huge fan of Na and gave the Korean director the full collection of his films on DVD. Pisanthanakun never expected that Na would eventually contact him to work together. “So I kept my distance from it for a while, but I grew interested in it again as another generation and another dimension of good films began to be released, such as films by director Ari Aster and director Na’s ‘The Wailing.’ I also found director Kim Jee-woon’s ‘A Tale of Two Sisters’ haunting.”ĭirector Banjong Pisanthanakun Pisanthanakun reminisces about the first time he met director Na, which was five years ago at an art festival in Thailand where Na’s film ‘The Chaser’ (2008) was being screened. During the press screening earlier this month, director Pisanthanakun revealed he “idolizes” director Na, especially his film “The Wailing.” “Personally, after I wrapped up ‘Alone’, I just got bored with the horror genre, because I started to feel like all the horror in the films was somewhat repetitive and similar,” Pisanthanakun said during an online interview with the Korea JoongAng Daily last week. In line with the anticipation, Lotte Cinema has made plans to cater to those that might be particularly nervous - on the release date and over the weekend, some branches will screen the film with the lights turned on and offer ear plugs for those who wish to avoid listening to the gory sounds. Na also co-wrote the original script of the film with writer Choi Cha-won. Ever since production began, horror flick fans have been waiting with trepidation to find out what the film has in store for them - especially because it marks the first collaborative project between two horror maestros - director-turned-producer Na Hong-jin of “The Wailing” (2016) and director Banjong Pisanthanakun, known for Thai horror films such as “Shutter” (2004) and “Pee Mak” (2014). The anticipation surrounding “The Medium,” which already had its world premiere at the 25th Bucheon Fantastic International Film Festival and was released in local theaters Wednesday, continues to grow with audiences positively reviewing the horror film. The town shaman, Nim (played by Sawanee Utoomma), performs a ritual to resolve the worries of the townspeople.
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