The public release of a new Thai horror movie was stopped by censors who reportedly objected to scenes involving a novice monk.
Originally set to hit theaters today, Hoon Payon was denied approval by the Film Censorship Board due to five “inappropriate” scenes, including one involving a novice monk hugging a woman said to be his mother.
Censors ordered Five Star Production to cut or reshoot the five scenes. At issue seem to be those showing the main character, a novice monk, fighting, arguing, and hugging a woman that those who have seen the film said was his mother.
Physical contact between a monk and woman is highly taboo. While Buddhism is not legally enshrined as the official religion of the state, actions deemed to insult it are prohibited by the law.
The censorship board said the scenes could be “divisive” and “insulting” to Buddhism. It said that if filmmakers cut the controversial scenes, they would bestow a rating of 20+, prohibiting anyone under 20 from watching it in the cinema.
Director Phontharis “Mike” Chotkijsadarsopon expressed dismay over the ruling.
“I’m really confused. How does my film insult Buddhism?” he wrote on social media. “We worked so hard for this film, and every character has their own reasons for their actions. We didn’t add these scenes to insult anything.”
The Association of Thai Film Directors this morning also criticized the decision.
“The order coming from a small group of people did not only affect the filmmakers and crew, but also the audience, whose freedom is stifled by being prevented from watching a movie,” it said.
The association went further to demand the reform of the film industry to “return freedom” to filmmakers to freely produce work that audiences can judge for themselves.
Thailand has censored movies for as long as it has had cinemas. Although ratings system was introduced in 2009, state censors still retain full authority to decide what reaches the screen. Over the years, many foreign and domestic films have been banned, including 2018’s Thi Baan The Series over a scene in which a monk cries over the death of a former girlfriend.
Hoon Payon is centered around Tham, a teen boy who travels a long way to a temple where his brother is ordained as a monk. Arriving there, Tham hears rumors that his brother has fled after killing an abbot. A series of vicious events later terrorize the village.
The film premiered Tuesday at the Major Cineplex Ratchayothin cinema in Bangkok, where a Q&A was held with the film’s creators and actors.
