The King Of The White Elephant (Reel 6 Of 6)

1940
Record Date
01:00:00
Recorded Duration
English
Recording Language
2011001361
Accession No.
Audiovisual
Type
35mm
Format
Access permitted
Conditions Governing Access
Use and reproduction require written permission from depositing agency/donor. Processing of reproduction request may require 7 working days.
Conditions Governing Reproduction
Synopsis :

Winner of a UNESCO Award for restoration, The King of the White Elephant is a pro-peace epic made during a time of war, and the oldest Thai film that have survived in its entirety.

Made in English as an international appeal for peace, The King of the White Elephant was produced by the then Thai Minister for Finance Pridi Bhanomyong in 1940, at a time when most of Asia was about to be engulfed in World War II. The story was set in the Ayutthaya period in the 16th century, and chronicles in the rivalry between the peace-loving King Chakra of Siam and his arch-enemy, the tyrant King Hongsa of Burma. When King Chakra¿s negotiation for peace breaks down, he is forced to confront King Hongsa to stop the Burmese invasion of his country. The film was first screened in Singapore and New York, and a year after it was made, Thailand was invaded by Japan, and Pridi Bhanomyong later became the leader of the Free Thai Movement.