Jao nok krajok (2009)

Cast: Arkaney Cherkham, Phakpoom Surapongsanuruk, Paramej Noieam, Anchana Ponpitakthepkij, Karuna Looktumthong

Rating: NR

Running Time: 82 min.

Synopsis: Two men contemplate the world in which they live in this drama from Thai filmmaker Anocha Suwichakornpong. Ake (Phakpoom Surapongsanuruk) is a man in his twenties who was involved in an accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Emotionally at sea as well as physically damaged, Ake is sent home to live with his family; while they're well off and have the resources to care for him, Ake and his father, Thanin (Paramej Noieam), don't get along and their mutual resentment isn't especially therapeutic. Thanin hires a male nurse, Pun (Arkaney Cherkham), to help care for Ake, and while the nurse doesn't think much of Thanin or the way he treats others, he develops a warm relationship with his patient based on trust and respect. As Ake becomes more comfortable with Pun, they begin discussing matters beyond Ake's condition, and Pun arranges for them to attend a presentation at a local planetarium. As they watch a striking simulation of the explosion of a star, the two men are transported into a place where the expanse of space takes on philosophical and metaphysical dimensions as the men contemplate the world in which they live. Jao Nok Krajok (aka Mundane History) was an official selection at the 2010 Rotterdam International Film Festival, where it was honored with the Tiger Award.