When Ron Howard tries to retell the dramatic rescue of a young soccer team from a flooded cave in northern Thailand in 2018, he has to contend with underwater photography, a bunch of extras, and surly protagonists. I knew that A British diver who succeeded in saving the boys in an amazing way. But he also knew that, especially as an American director working on a Thai story, authenticity was important, and any deviation from truth would put him at risk.
So for the new film, “thirteen lives‘ will debut on Friday prime videoHoward and his producing partner Brian Grazer hired Thai cinematographer Sayombhu Mukdeeprom (“Call Me By Your Name”) and producers Raymond Phattanavilangoon and Volakorn Ruthivani. We hired Cucule and relied on local actors as guides.
One such actor Howard came to trust was 33 years old Patrakorn Tungspakul, a diminutive TV star from northern Thailand, plays Buahhom, a single mother who is forced to wait helplessly at the entrance of a cave for 17 excruciating days. Cowardly and afraid of his son, Tungsupakul’s character serves as the emotional center of the film.
The whole experience was new and strange for the actress who has worked in Thai television for nearly a decade. According to Tungsupakul, Thailand’s television environment was not always supportive and encouraging.
“Ron, he would always ask me, ‘What do you want me to do? ‘ And he listened,” she said in an interview in Los Angeles. “He trusted me so much that I had to prepare myself and work harder. I had to bring my experience to this project.”
She may also be the movie’s secret weapon.
“She’s the most broadly relatable character in the film,” says Howard, referring to Tungspakul’s character seemingly waiting endlessly outside the cave while the child undergoes surgery. I compared it to being stuck in the waiting room. “Dramatically, she’s the most heartbreaking person.”
Tungsupakul is from Chiang Mai, a city not far from the Tham Luang Cave where the boys were trapped. Howard was initially drawn to Tunguspakul because of her visceral connection to the character, but when she discovered that she was also from the area and didn’t need to learn a specific dialect, it was decided that she was ready for the job. I realized that I am the right woman for
Known by his nickname of Ploy, Tungspakr became an integral part of the production team. She improvised lines, researched the specific culture and traditions of her hometown, chose her own wardrobe, and even suggested plot lines for her films.
Covid restrictions prevented Howard from entering Thailand at all, so it was especially difficult to get the details right. Instead, “Thirteen Lives” was filmed in Queensland, Australia, with Howard remotely supervising a crew filming the appearance in Thailand.
“It was a challenge,” Howard said in an interview. “And there’s certainly a risk that it won’t pay off that way.”
Tungspakul was not able to meet with the survivors or their parents because the producers had no right to life over the boys or their families. “The reporter kept asking, ‘How are you feeling?’ ‘You must be feeling sad,'” she said. Said, “It was terrible. But for me, I have to do my research, so it was good and I want to see the actual reaction.”
Tungspakul’s character is a poor working mother who feels great guilt for not being able to return home for her son. She is also stateless, a recent immigrant from Myanmar, and because she does not have proper citizenship, she is uncertain whether her child will be rescued along with her other children. I can’t have
Her character’s arc involves finding her own voice in quiet moments.She directly challenges the governor. I ask you to give me some blessings. She then hands the bracelet to a diver (particularly played by Colin Farrell and Viggo Mortensen) before returning to the depths.
As another example of paying attention to local customs, Tungspakul incorporated the idea of bracelets into his production. “I asked a friend of hers who studies northern culture at Chiang Mai University and she said this is a must,” she said. “This is a sign of good luck to the person, giving them the blessing of being safe on a dangerous mission.”
Tungsupakul is also one of the few female characters in the male-dominated cast. ruetai vanicle(Producer PJ van Sandwijk worked on both “Thirteen Lives” and “The Rescue.”)
“She showcases the softer side of femininity and energy,” Ruetaivanichkul said. “She shows empathy within the group, which Ron emphasized from the beginning, because otherwise it would be no different than a documentary story focused on rescuers. I’m trying to build a world.”
Tungsupakul and her sister were raised by parents who owned a small business dealing in construction materials. She graduated from law school but decided to move to Bangkok to pursue her acting career. Her early success playing a rural girl who was forced to emigrate to Bangkok after her father was murdered in the 2013 series made her a star in Thailand. When asked if she was famous, Tungspakul quietly said, “Yeah,” to her objection, before adding:
‘Thirteen Lives’ was her first international production and one in which she found difficulty in regulating her emotions. She remembers what Howard told her at one point. No more tears,” she said with a laugh. The world that the production team recreated in Australia felt so close to me that I could easily cry. Tungsupakul was in Bangkok when the rescue was taking place and remembers being glued to the TV to watch the story unfold.
“I told Ron there was no hope,” she said. There are many ways to die.”
As of the July interview, Tungsupakul had yet to see the film with a Thai audience, although she had seen the sent link seven times. . “I’m proud,” said Rugeradh Tungsupakul of her passing by Waen. “I know how hard it was for her to get to where she is today.”
Tungspakul’s greatest regret is that her father, who witnessed her success, is not alive. He died before her first TV show aired and was not happy when she abandoned her law for the unpredictable life of an actress.
“If I had a wish, I would like Prime Video to be available where he is so he can see me in 13 Lives,” she said.
