Queens of Langkasuka (Thai: ปืนใหà¸à¹ˆà¸ˆà¸à¸¡à¸ªà¸¥à¸±à¸”, Puen yai jom salad) is a 2008 Thai historical fantasy adventure film directed by Nonzee Nimibutr. Queen Hijau of Pattani faces overthrow by the rebel Prince Pahung, who is allied with pirate captain Black Raven. The pirates attempt to capture some giant cannon invented by Dutchman Janis Bree and Chinese inventor Lim Kium, but the Dutch ship carrying the cannon blows up and the cannons sink into the sea. Meanwhile, a boy named Pari is born in a fishing village. His father is killed by Black Raven. The boy is eventually taken by his uncle Anjar to learn from White Ray. The sage will teach the boy the magical ways of the ocean and how to communicate with the marine life. Black Raven, also practiced in the Du Lum ocean magical arts, has been trying to raise the cannons from the depths of the sea. Queen Hijau wants her own large cannons and seeks the inventor Lim Kium. She sends away her daughters, Princess Ungu and Princess Biru. They will be under the protection of the queen's loyal commander, the fierce martial artist Prince Jarang. Eventually, all the forces - the rebel prince, the pirates, the ocean magician, the queen and the princesses - will battle for the big cannon. Queens of Langkasuka, which went into production in 2005, was a first called Queens of Pattani, but the name was changed to avoid political connections to the South Thailand insurgency and Pattani separatism, and to tie the story in with the legend of Langkasuka. The film premiered at the 2008 Cannes Film Market to mixed reviews. Derek Elley of Variety said the film lacked focus and at 133 minutes was too long. Based on the reception from the industry press, studio Sahamongkol Film International considered created a shorter version of the film for international markets. The film's August 2008 release in Thai cinemas was postponed until October, with the director citing Thailand's unstable political atmosphere. A boost of confidence was given though, when the film was scheduled for the Venice Film Festival, where it would play in a special out-of-competition midnight screening. Queens of Langkasuka has also been mentioned as a possible opener for the 2008 Bangkok International Film Festival. |