Karma Police

Film by Visra Vichit-Vadakan
pornmanuss@gmail.com

+66 8 1 639 6774

Karma Police's Mood and Tone video : http://vimeo.com/21121716

password: karmapolice

Director's Statement
Karma Police is a meditation on the influence and control that people in power have over people on the ground. The Thai people have so far been blind and susceptible to the games that politicians play and as a result, we are experiencing a violent political crisis. This issue is of great personal importance to me for many reasons.

    

Find more Director's Statement... /The Project /The Inspiration /The Story /

The Presentation /The National Narrative /Synopsis / Production Plan and Schedule / Financing Plan

THE PROJECT

Karma Police is a metaphor for our current instability and social decline – the textbook science fiction film without fancy space scenes, aliens, or sleek astropods. There is one spaceship and it doesn’t even work. This is dirty science fiction- Third world science fiction- the same critiques of society without special effects although there will be some.

     The monk came before the spaceship. On my birthday three years ago, we invited our family monk over forsome morning prayers. After the ceremonies, he confided in me and told me he was a monk detective, telling various stories of how he fought religious crime. That was the birthplace of Olan, the main character and inspiration for Karma Police- the space program, Ping, and Jaimanee followed.

     The meta-project of Karma Police is to highlight the distance and disconnect between people at different levels of society while showing the human conditions that every person, regardless of status, is susceptible to: ego, desire for change, power, fame, wealth, etc… No character in Karma Police is immune to theseimperfections. This meta-project is the canopy under which I tell the story.

THE INSPIRATION 

I want to make a Buddhist film. Since childhood, Buddhism has been an integral part of my life and has greatly shaped the way I view the world. There are obvious Buddhist influences in Karma Police – The main character is a Buddhist monk. Some dialog explores theories of karma and rebirth. Apart from the obvious, there is another level of the film that I consider as the most Buddhist and that is the imperfect nature and fragility of the characters. There are protagonists and antagonists but these people are neither good nor bad.

Each character is rendered to the viewer in a way that suggests, “This could be you.” We can all relate to the feelings of and thus exercise compassion for the monks at the temple, the frustrations of the government worker, the excitement of the people applying to be an astronaut, etc…

THE STORY

I show the story of two people from vastly different parts of society while they experience a shared social and historical phenomenon. The social and historical phenomenon is a government project to send the first Thai into outer space and Thai society’s obsession with it. We follow the story of Jaimanee, the project’s initiator and first woman Prime Minister of Thailand. We also follow the story of Olan, a Buddhist monk living around the slums of Bangkok. Their stories brush against each other, but never connect or intertwine If drawn, these are their paths in relation to one another, throughout the film: 

THE PRESENTATION

One idea that I have for the film that is outside of the script is to take documentary footage of Bangkok and use it in the film. Even to this day there is violence and protests in Bangkok. I have been taking my camera to these events and have been documenting them. I hope to use some of this footage in the film and I am also certain that when we shoot, there will be some political events happening at the time that we can shoot. I want to bring the actors into these events and shoot them there. The script is thus written to be fluid and adaptable.

      The other idea that I have for it involves public participation. In the story, the people that apply to be the first Thainaut have to send in a video testimony. I want to get real testimonies from people, submitted online, about why they would want to go space and why, if given the chance, they would be chosen. We will design and build a model competition online where people can contribute their testimonies to the film. We will then

choose the best testimonies and put them in the film.

THE NATIONAL NARRATIVE

I want to establish that the film is themed around national narratives and the stories that people in power weave to hold a nation together. This exists in every country and in every culture. These narratives often hold a country together for a period of time but are always impermanent and destructive especially in the developing world. The middle east is a hot example of how these narratives fail, how countries fall, and how they rebuild themselves again. Thailand is facing the same threat of falling and opportunity to build back up again.

      As an artist, I have a duty to interpret what is happening in society and project it into a story and onto the screen. More so than ever, Thailand needs people who are willing to encourage dialogue on issues that would otherwise be swept underneath the political chaos. This is why I am making Karma Police.

    With respect and appreciation for your support for independent films, In the beginning of Karma Police, a small and sprightly Ping (9) plays near the train tracks in the slums area of Bangkok. He sees a strange sight – a Buddhist Monk is being chased after by another Buddhist monk. The Buddhist monk in pursuit is Olan (33), a tough, muscular, handsome monk from the temple next to the slums. Ping looks at this strange sight with interest but continues to play by himself.

SYNOPSIS

We meet Olan, our protagonist. Olan is a modern monk. He is in touch and in tune with the comings and goings of the people near the temple. He keeps a facebook account to stay in touch with his monk friends. He keeps a blog telling people about his job as a monk detective.

     A monk detective is a monk that catches and punishes fake monks and people pretending to be monks. This happens quite a bit because monks get free food and money on morning alms and they also get free healthcare at the monk hospital. It’s Olan’s job that these fake monks get caught but also monks have 227 rules to follow and it’s Olan’s job to ensure they are behaving within these rules too.

    Olan is always getting into trouble with the Head Abbot(60) and so as punishment, the Head Abbot forces Olan to take Ping, a local temple boy, under his wing and with him wherever they go. The two become a religious crime fighting duo.

    Now imagine a black screen. An animation. A man and a woman fly out onto the screen, riding a spaceship, waving the Thai national flag. They tell you that this year is Thailand Space Year 2013. A new program initiated by Jaimanee(57) Thailand’s first woman Prime Minister, will choose one person from the general public to represent Thailand in space. They will choose the first Thainaut. Applications can be filled out at www.whyiamthainaut.com

     Jaimanee is a force of a woman and she will bulldoze through steel to get what she wants and she wants this program to happen. To her delight, the program is highly successful. Thailand becomes space-crazed and thousands of people apply to be the next Thainaut.

     Olan with the help of Ping applies to be a Thainaut and he is eventually chosen because he was the only monk to apply and Jaimanee recognizes his uniqueness of spirit. She believes that Olan can lead the Thai people into space successfully and she is right. Olan immediately becomes a national hero. His face is everywhere and he reaches celebrity status overnight. He can’t lead his normal monk life anymore so he goes underground into the government training facility until the launch. Underground, Olan is put through intense mental and physical tests to a point where he cannot take it anymore. He asks to surface and go back to the temple. To his surprise, he gets no response and discovers that the government is holding him captive underground.

     Using his detective skills, Olan breaks out of his underground prison and surfaces to find that the city is in celebration because the launch is about to happen at that moment. Completely shocked, Olan finds out that people are gathering at the national lawn to see the launch.

    Not knowing what to do, Olan rushes over to the lawn on a motorbike. Along the way, he notices something that is unfamiliar. The city is unified and in celebration and he is at the center of it. People wave flags with his name on it. Tshirts with his face line the streets. He slowly realizes on the way over that the launch is fake. 

     Jaimanee is at the national lawn addressing the sea of people who have come out to watch the launch. Olan uses his skills to get behind stage and confront Jaimanee about the program. Before Jaimanee can respond, Olan rushes out onto the stage, about to tell people the truth when as he’s about to say something, a bright light starts at the horizon and shoots up into the sky leaving a trail of rainbow colors in it’s wake. 

     The sight is beautiful and the crowd stares at it in spiritual awe. Some people cry, others are speechless. Olan feels the spirituality and gravity of the event and hesitates for a moment. In that moment of hesitation, Olan is taken down by one of the government forces. He’s bound and taken in the back of black car. As he looses consciousness, he sees the beautiful light before he disappears into the abyss.

PRODUCTION PLAN AND SCHEDULE

April - Aug 2011: Development

  • Continue presale & raising fund

  • Review and Polish shooting script

Sep 2011– Jan 2012: Pre-Production
  • Secure financiers and distributors

  • Finalize key crew

  • Location scouting

  • Begin Visualize/ Set Construction

  • Finalize Cast & Rehearsal

Feb-May 2012: Shooting
June – Oct 2012: Post-Production
Nov – Dec 2012: Copy A Ready
  • Final Cut reviewed and approved for theatrical release
  • Film printed
Jan-Feb 2013: Film Release
  • Press Conference
  • Local Theatrical release of “Karma Police” 

TECHNICAL DETAILS

Karma Police is a production of Hidden Rooster Films

Director: Visra Vichit-Vadakan

Producer: Pornmanus Silpasart

Format :  35 MM/Colour

Length :  100 Minutes

Filming :  40 Days

FINANCING PLAN
Total Budget: 750,000 EUR
Funding secured: 300,000 EUR (45%)
1)   Local Financing: 500,000 EUR (65%)

     -  Funding secured from Production company and Confirmed Partner(s):  300,000 EUR

     -  Tentative Sponsor(s) 100,000 EUR

     -   Local Institution Funding/Grants 100,000 EUR         
2)  International Financing: 250,000 EUR (35%)

    -    International Institution Funding/Grants : 100,000 EUR

    -    Minimum Guarantee from World Sales Agents or Foreign Private Equity Investor(s) : 150,000 EUR

        

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pornmanus Silpasart
Hidden Rooster Films Co., Ltd.

411/1 Soi Ratchadanives,Prachauthid Road,

Huay-Kwang District, Bangkok 10310, Thailand

Tel: +66 81 639 6774

Email: pornmanus@hiddenroosterfilms.com

            visra@ hiddenroosterfilms.com

Website: http://www.hiddenroosterfilms.com