Dreams and Honour (1997)

This debut film harks back to the moral debate that has dominated Thai popular culture for the past twenty years. Two boys from a working-class family grow up as best friends. One is the son of a farmer, the other of a Thai-Chinese greengrocer. In a childhood scene, we see the boys wondering how to get ahead in life. Instead of the usual options - showbiz or Thai boxing - they choose to follow in the footsteps of their fathers: one wants to become a rowing champion and the other leader of a dragon dance group. The film is a simple moral tale of fathers and sons, good and bad influences, honor and shame. The screenplay breathes the atmosphere of early Thai cinema with a strong melodramatic tone, but its exaggeration and predictability are offset by the dynamic camera work and editing, the decent acting and the unusual glimpse into the world of the Chinese minority in Thailand.