On this page: HOMOSAYWHAT | KRABI, 2562 | SPACESHIP EARTH

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Along the way, the filmmakers speak with three actors from their TV series Treading Yesterday, millennials Buresh and Bowe and boomer Scholz, who have intriguingly different views. Clearly the younger guys hadn't experienced the vile rhetoric from far-right evangelicals during the 1980s Aids epidemic. The film goes on to grapple with the ongoing religious side of the issue, including a section touching on biblical scholarship. It also makes the point that those who suppress or subvert the facts (including the misuse of biblical texts) are immorally promoting alienation and division.

The truth is that there has never been a gay agenda, homosexuals aren't infiltrating anything, and no one's preaching a queer message. The difficult truth is that people like to feel superior to those who are marginalised. The filmmakers trace these attitudes through the decades right into the present day, showing that this isn't actually a phobia: it's a sadistic, hateful reaction against social change. These people aren't anti-gay, they're deeply bigoted on a whole range of issues. And quoting Desmond Tutu, "If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor."

themes, language, imagery

31.May.20

The film's focus is on the people rather than the stunning scenery or colourful wildlife, both of which remain in the background. Even so, there are languorous shots of still water, soaring cliffs and unusual local critters. And caves feature frequently, both with present-day visitors and glimpses of neanderthals (Suwan and Attasawat) who lived here thousands of years ago and painted on the walls. Just as much attention is paid to the bustling town, its daily currents of life and unusual public art, plus swarms of tourists in the sea.

The film has a mesmerising charm, with its unexpected assembly of images and stories, the rhythmic soundtrack and a wide range of fascinating locations. All of this is underscored with a wry sense of humour, which gives the doc a matter-of-fact emotional resonance. There are even some hilarious visual gags. The way various scenes are juxtaposed can get a bit awkward or pushy, and the tone is sometimes downright sleepy, but there isn't a single shot that doesn't provoke a thought or feeling.

some themes

26.May.20

Over the decades, their work was carefully and beautifully documented on film. Inside the biosphere, their research made important environmental discoveries, but the media began to debunk the work, treating it as a stunt. And evasive project spokespeople made journalists even more suspicious as issues with food and oxygen created problems. Two years after completing the mission, the biosphere was taken over by bankers (ironically under the control of Steve Bannon) looking for profit rather than science.

The film has a slightly sleepy tone, recounting the story without flourishes. But the participants tell witty anecdotes. It's also haunting that the media threw out the ecological message to sensationalise this as a doomsday cult. So these people feel that their life's work was stolen from them. This is a scary depiction of that point in history when everyone knew what needed to be done to repair the planet, then money changed the agenda, ramping up destruction instead. But all of the biospherians are still a "high-functioning family" working on earth-healing projects.

themes, language

6.May.20