Come and See Documentary Ó╣ÇÓ©¡Ó©½Ó©┤Ó©øÓ©▒Ó©¬Ó©¬Ó©┤Ó╣éÓ©ü Screening + Director Q&A

We'll be screening the Thai documentary Come and See followed by a Q&A with the director Kai Boonprakob and Buddhist scholar Vichak Punich. The documentary follows the clash between the largest and most controversial Buddhist temple in Thailand “Dhammakaya” and the military government told through the eyes of devoted disciples.

The discussion will be moderated by film scholar Qui-Ha Hoang Nguyen who is a postdoctoral associate at the Yale Council on Southeast Asian Studies.

SYNOPSIS: Shaped like a round, golden spaceship, Dhammakaya is the largest and richest Buddhist temple in Thailand. With millions of followers, it has become an icon of Thai Buddhism and the mecca of all Buddhists in the world, yet it also reeks of suspicious money matters. In 2016, the abbot of Dhammakaya was charged with money laundering and acquisition of stolen properties. The ensuing clash between the military regime that tries to enforce the law and the all-powerful temple with many followers is intense.

Filmmaker Nottapon Boonprakob investigates this incident from a rather unique point of view—he spotlights someone who may be considered a religious fanatic. The camera’s gaze, as it traverses across politics and religion, power and corruption, belief and blind faith, maintains a cold calmness of an investigator without a hint of emotion. The impressive directing creates a tense atmosphere, pointing out the evils of religion without criticizing the ignorant yet innocent fanatical followers.
(synopsis written by KANG Sowon - Busan International Film Festival 2019) 

TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgC9TQrK3Wg

*Nominated for BIFF Mecenat Award - Busan International Film Festival 2019
*Top Ranked on NETFLIX Thailand in August 2021

REVIEWS:
Nikkei Asia https://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Life/Documentary-gives-Thais-rare-glimpse-into-controversial-sect
Bangkok Post https://www.bangkokpost.com/life/social-and-lifestyle/2095643/come-and-see-no-need-to-pray-
Asian Movie Pulse https://asianmoviepulse.com/2021/03/documentary-review-come-and-see-2019-by-nottapon-boonprakob/

Sponsored by the Asian American Cultural Center's Historical, Artistic, and Cultural Resources team and the Council on Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS)


**This event is a part of the AACC Leadership Certificate program playlist**

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