Restoration of The King of the White Elephant (Thailand)
Why to restore The King of White Elephant?
The National Film Archive of Thailand was able to get prints of two of the most ancient Thai films: “The Boat House” and “The King of the White Elephant”. Both of their original negatives are lost forever, but the National Film Archive was able to get good prints of those historical films. The Technicolor Foundation for Film & TV Heritage, through Technicolor laboratory in Bangkok, helps the National Film Archive to give access to the Thai people two of its historical films.
“These two films were chosen as their original negatives have been lost forever,” said Dome Sukvong, film archivist at the National Film Archive. For “ The King of the White Elephant”, the Archives made a 35mm dupe positive from a 16mm copy borrowed from the Library of Congress in the USA. The work of Technicolor Thailand was to restored this 35mm print, which presented various sound and image flaws.
Movie Synopsis
King Chakra of Ayuthaya is a moral king. He doesn’t want to have 365 wives which he must have according to Royal Law. When the army of King Hongsa trespasses across the boarder into Thailand, King Chakra, with an army mounted on elephants, goes to war against the King of Hongsa. But in the end he declares that he prefers to make peace not war.
The movie which was beautifully shot by Prasart Sukum A.S.C, is the only pre WWII Thai film to survive in its complete form. Then Ambassador to France Pridi Banomyong, used the film to demonstrate Thailand’s neutral stance during the War.
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Released in1940; Pridi Production, Pridi Banomyong, producer: Sanh Vasutharn, director – based on a novel with the same name by Pridi Banomyong; black and white; 100min
Source: National Film Archive of Thailand.