25 Facts About Rattana Pestonji

Rattana Pestonji was a Thai film director, producer, screenwriter and cinematographer and is regarded as the father of contemporary Thai film.

Rattana Pestonji pushed for innovations, and was one of the first Thai directors to use 35-mm film.

Rattana Pestonji died just as he was giving a speech to government officials to call for support of a domestic industry he saw as coming under threat from Hollywood films.

Rattana Pestonji was born Rattan Pestonji in Bangkok, to Indian-Parsi parents.

Rattana Pestonji was so adept at dismantling and reassembling his camera, that it was decided he should study engineering at the University of London.

Rattana Pestonji spent his early life studying in India and UK.

Rattana Pestonji returned to Thailand with an engineering degree, but continued to pursue his interest in photography and found a job as a film salesman.

In 1937, Rattana shot his first film, a short called Tang, about a young Thai girl.

Tang won the Amateur Cine Competition in Glasgow, Scotland and Rattana Pestonji was given the top award by Alfred Hitckcock, who was president of the jury.

Rattana Pestonji made another short called White Boat in 1939 and it was shown at the New York World Festival.

Rattana Pestonji continued his work in film sales, but he was given his big break into filmmaking in 1949 when he was asked by Prince Bhanu Yugala to act as a cameraman on the film Phanthaay Norasingh.

Around this time, Rattana Pestonji formed his own studio, Hanuman Films Company.

Rattana Pestonji directed his first feature film, Dear Dolly in 1951.

In each of his films, Rattana Pestonji sought to experiment and raise the standard of production.

At a time when post-dubbed 16 mm films were the industry standard in Thailand, Rattana Pestonji wanted to use 35 mm stock, which was more expensive and technically difficult to work with, but it allowed for the sound to be recorded along with the image.

Still, Rattana Pestonji would run afoul of the Thai government, and upon his return from the festival, he was charged $5,000 tax for the $16,000 Mitchell Camera he won, and was fined 1,000 baht for failing to clear his film with the Thai censor.

Undaunted, Rattana Pestonji continued his work, working as cinematographer on the romantic drama Chuafah Din Salai and then taking the director's chair for Rongraem Narok.

Rattana Pestonji performed almost all the major tasks himself, acting as writer, producer, director, cinematographer and editor.

Rattana Pestonji co-founded and headed the Thai Film Producers Association.

Rattana Pestonji was rushed to nearby Chulalongkorn Hospital, but he died three hours later of a massive coronary.

Rattana Pestonji's death was the first of two tough blows for the burgeoning Thai industry in 1970, for later in the year, it would lose its biggest star, Mitr Chaibancha, in a fatal accident during the filming of a stunt.

Rattana Pestonji's films are cited as a major influence by Wisit Sasanatieng, a Thai film director whose acclaimed Tears of the Black Tiger was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000.

The studio that Rattana Pestonji started, Hanuman Films Company, is still operated by his sons Edal and Santa.

Rattana Pestonji's films are periodically shown in retrospectives at film festivals.

Rattana Pestonji was posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2004 Bangkok International Film Festival.