In 2015, in a border town in southern Thailand near the Perlis tunnel that leads into Malaysia, a mass grave containing the bodies of Rohingya refugees was discovered. This dreadful and still unsolved mystery is obliquely referred to in the story of Manta Ray, where a wounded man left for dead is found in a mangrove by a young Thai fisherman. The young man takes him home, nurses him and names him Thongchai. Their relationship grows (despite the language barrier) until one day the fisherman vanishes. This is the first feature film that the experienced cinematographer, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng, has directed. His gaze transcends the topicality of his subject by developing it in a poetic and unexpected way. What importance is given to the word “welcome” when someone decides to give it a place in their life ? AR
Released on July 24th 2019
