Seizures Of A Yes Yes Culture

Following video was kind of orphaned for some time in our BKK Vids section. It’s worth a very close look though. It deserves an own post. Watch it. Study it. Decode it.

Who’s the actress? No clue. The video was shot by Maurice Spees, a Dutch filmmaker based in Thailand, at a street performance in Bangkok. Capturing pure Thai depth psychology.

The performance “was suddenly interrupted by this woman stealing the show,” says Maurice. “Nobody knew who she was, but she was to good to chase away.” What she’s telling us?

Her kreng jai-induced seizure sheds some light on the too many sudden twists and turns of life over here. Smile and say yes and be a good daughter and son – until the pitcher that went so often to the well is broken at last.

After a momentary lapse of control though she goes on, smiling, seemingly unshaken – until the next seizure.

Amazing performance – and says Maurice: “This was completely improvised, not rehearsed.”

Days after seeing the video for the first time I was sure I saw the woman near Erawan Shrine. Wanted to ask her, but hesitated. Have seen “her” many times since then. She’s here and there and everywhere, just stay alert.

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Comments

19 Responses to “Seizures Of A Yes Yes Culture”

Peter Hall on September 29th, 2008 2:24 pm

Chasing Thai girls:

Thanks to Punter’s comment I took a second look at the video, which at first I dismissed as just more “mediocre modern dance” (the action and music in the background) which was another reason I left the West.

I still think the video is staged, but while maintaining a suspension in disbelief, the womans “improv” performance was first class, and rather than chasing her away I would have chased after her and used her in my next video!

Quality comment? 0 0
maria on September 29th, 2008 2:43 pm

What a metaphor for the many breakdowns in Thailand and Thai society. You just do good and look good and pretend good until things just HAVE to go wrong.

Have to show this to my Thai friends, let’s see how THEY see the finer points.

There’s for sure some talent around here – staged or not staged.

Quality comment? 0 0
JJ on September 29th, 2008 3:07 pm

How to explain the PAD’s No No culture?

With the urge of breaking out of a superimposed Yes Yes culture?

From one extreme to the other with no middle-ground to rest …

I myself prefer the yes yes country. Just factor in momentary lapses of control.

Quality comment? 0 0
chang dek on September 29th, 2008 3:44 pm

A slick production, but I don’t believe the woman just walked off the street and hijacked someone’s show, and the videographer abandoned the original show to film to usurper!?!, though I would have done the same judging by the rolling potatoes in the background. The video has been edited and the sound track is contiguous, and surprisingly fitting her performance … and what happened to the original performers and their show? Still, she put on a cracking show. Who is she?

Quality comment? 0 0
'Pong on September 29th, 2008 5:10 pm

It could be easily seen as staged performance art but who cares as long as it’s sharp to the core of the culture. I loved it. Let us know if you find more of her works.

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ThaiCrisis on September 29th, 2008 5:32 pm

I agree with Dek: It’s a performance within the performance.

I don’t think we can say “she was stealing the show” or that it was “improvised.”

And the idea of the yes-culture leading to something like a “convulsionary” enslavement is good.

And I like her glasses.

(I hope my comment is not too vitriolic, I try to be careful now …)

Quality comment? 0 0
BangkokDan on September 29th, 2008 5:41 pm

“Convulsionary enslavement” – love it ThaiCrisis, magnifique.

But let’s not fool ourselves that the performed could be less real when staged.

Aren’t we all performing own performances.

She’s like the spectator in the theater, raising his fist and complaining loudly about the performance – him himself being part of the play.

Hardly an accidental passer-by – but distancing herself from the stage makes her appearance even more powerful.

Still waiting for Maurice’s answer how improvised this improv truly was. Even though it doesn’t matter.

And don’t you think TC she looks even better (but less enslaved) without glasses?

Class act of a classy girl.

Who’s that girl.

BangkokDan

Quality comment? 0 0
chang dek on September 29th, 2008 6:09 pm

The impact of the purported (stolen show) scenario holds my attention and admiration incalculably against a rehearsed event.

Where is that master tape Maurice?

Quality comment? 0 0
farangbainai on September 29th, 2008 10:29 pm

Holy shit! I love her!

Now that’s a Thai girl I’d die for. She’s a looker and not only equipped with an oversupply of intellect.

Pure power woman. Got more on her?

Quality comment? 0 0
ThaiCrisis on September 30th, 2008 3:17 am

Damned, BKK Dan is in love!

I would like to add that it’s certainly difficult for an artist to convulse like that in public …

So I guess the task must be really difficult for a thai woman performer …

Like a steeplechase with shoes in lead.

So: respect.

Now the only solution to extinguish your (our) burning curiosity is to make Maurice talk.

But if he’s a good magician, he wouldn’t reveal his trick, right?

And this girl is definitely a striking trick.

Quality comment? 0 0
Peter Hall on September 30th, 2008 7:07 am

I think this thread should be called: “Love Is In The Air … dada-da-data-dat-daa …” oh, that damn cupid Spees, what have you done now?

Quality comment? 0 0
G on September 30th, 2008 7:38 am

Yes, the Thais are coming out of the closet in terms of covering unsavory subjects with high wais and big smiles.

Quality comment? 0 0
Maurice Spees on October 1st, 2008 2:18 pm

Ok here is the story:

While working on our contemporary theatre production Mother of Water- Mae Nam by the Khandha Arts’n'Theater company together with Visualantis, for the advocacy of HIV/Aids in the mekong region, which performed in Patravadi Theatre, we needed a test audience. So we chose to use the art market as a platform for the artists.

Our aim with our production was to work with any artist with or without experience. And in Thailand to get the most out of people you can better work with non-experienced performers who are (still) dedicated to learn and experience something new.

Yok the woman you see in the video, is one of the non-experienced performers, who is actually a shy and kreng jai girl.

During the development of our production Sonoko asked everyone to express their weak point. In the beginning it was hard to open up, but after strong self-development workshops directed by Sonoko Prow and the huge group we formed, people managed to get things out of themselves they never knew off. While Yok always kept in the background, she was never able to express herself. So she got a chance to show who she was on the Art market, and let herself loose, scream out her weak point …

She said she would try to do it, but she was not sure if she was able to make it.

Nobody of the group knew what we could expect, she completely did an improvisational appearance and performance. So also I did not know what was going to happen, I had no clue of her whole performance as well.

The music in the background is the music which is playing live during the performance (recorded live in the camera).

Her name is Thiphawan Wannamahin (Yok), and I heard that a friend of mine who attended to my workshops before (Mana Sirisillapa) took the opportunity and just finished a short film with her which will showcase at the Bangkok World film fest.

For sure there is more to come from Yok, she has a talent which is hard to find in Thailand.

Quality comment? 0 0
Maurice Spees on October 1st, 2008 2:26 pm

So, there is no editing in the video whatsoever.

Quality comment? 0 0
Peter Hall on October 1st, 2008 3:20 pm

Great spin, still prefer the original version.

Thanks for the clarification Maurice, but isn’t it a little different from: “The performance “was suddenly interrupted by this woman stealing the show,” says Maurice. “Nobody knew who she was, but she was to good to chase away.” What she’s telling us?” ??? …

Quality comment? 0 0
Maurice Spees on October 1st, 2008 3:41 pm

Nobody knew who she was, it’s not the girl anyone met before …

She was to good to chase away, she still is.

Quality comment? 0 0
ThaiCrisis on October 2nd, 2008 2:59 am

Okay, fair enough. I don’t mind at all when a magician reveal its tricks. I mean I’m not disappointed.

I would like to come back to the performance itself, with a few remarks.

- Even without reading the title of BD (“yes yes culture”), I felt immediately the same while watching the video.

- What surprised me was at the beginning of her gestures: It looks like the “okay” sign of sea divers … But … if you look carefully… the 3 first fingers and the hand are very straight … And the way Yok is moving her arm do to the gesture give us also a hint.

For me it’s very clear: It’s a half-wai, a broken wai, not just a sign like “everything is okay.”

And the way she bows her head (slightly) at the same time reinforces this.

- We can note that after she does a few real wais (or I should say “full wai” because we all know that wais in Thai culture are not really about … reality, right?)

- The link with the “yes yes culture” then is obvious with the movements of her head. Or are they the first symptoms of a seizure? Non.

- The convulsion: She goes on the ground. Here again we can see symbols of the “yes yes culture,” with the special position for women to pray, or to wai some important persons … that evolve in full convulsion.

One detail: She took off her glasses before. That’s a glitch that reveals the work to come.

I always felt that artistic performances must go beyond the simple fact of offering a (free) psychotherapy to the performer.

(We all know that performers, actors, actresses have had a difficult childhood.)

I mean: Where is the message, right? If there is a message, it’s of course much more interesting.

Apparently, I’m not alone to feel that there is something in this video, more than just a nice young Thai woman in front of a camera doing weird stuff.

And it’s certainly why we find Yok “interesting” if I may say. She’s not particularly “suay” from a plastic point of view. She’s interesting.

For me, the simple fact of a Thai woman who is able to express, in public, a rather strong critic of one the pillars of her culture/prison … is I think powerful.

And attractive.

Bon, enough talking.

To summarize: I’m impatient to see miss Yok’s future work.

Quality comment? 0 0
Moor Santaduri on August 5th, 2009 12:18 am

Welcome to BKK the most beautiful and peaceful place on Earth. Come to BKK now and experience the perfect harmony. Drive through our spectacular concrete rain forestry covered with the most amazing constructions. Be enlightened by the pure cool breeze of our elegant high voltage devices. Always the perfect condition for you and your health, enjoy the winter season while wearing a T-shirt.

We make sure that you enjoy BKK, living in absolute concrete harmony. We not only help you to keep away from the heating and destructive sun, we also made sure that you will not be bothered by any trees or others plants that are always in the way. So now you never have to go through the time consuming discomforts of nurturing and taking care of plants and no living ant or other animal will crawl into your life and disturb your privacy. This in the same time keeps away the irritating noises of birds, monkey’s and other horrifying creatures. Always remain in peace with the soothing sound of our lovely machines and vehicles. You will love what we did with our sky-view. Look up and witness the most fascinating concrete constructions that never end, so you can relax your mind in the harmonizing grey colors. You will love the convenience we created for you. Take a step outside your door and surf on a wave of call breeze taking you all the way, directly connected to the world’s most needful things in life. Be mesmerized by our amazing by our amazingly huge shopping malls where everything is affordable, and you will always find everything you need, from Armani clothing to Ducati motorbikes. If you feel like buying a house we will also make sure that after your work you can enjoy the most relaxing concrete gardens that do not need any work, specially meant for your leisure and recreation for the kids. Come home and turn on all available mediums, so that you can enjoy life to it’s fullest … Bathe in the comforts of mesmerizing Bangkok. A true shopping paradise.

Quality comment? 0 0
whoopla on August 5th, 2009 1:16 am

I love it, we have poetry, finally! “Concrete rain forestry” indeed!

Quality comment? 0 0

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