sander kamp
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Anybody who has been following the international news lately must have noticed there was something going on in Thailand the past few weeks and months.
A group calling themselves the 'Red Shirts' occupied the commercial heart of the city, causing major shopping malls and hotels to shut down. The majority of these protesters were poor people from the country side, mostly middle aged women and men and some children. Their demands were for the government to step down and have new elections, after which they hoped a new government would improve their living circumstances. For the most they were peaceful and you could indeed walk through the protest area without trouble, listening to their music and enjoying their food.
There was also a group of men attacking military and commercial targets with M79 grenades. Who this group is or was is still largely unknown but it is possible they were connected to the Red Shirts. They wore black so they were called the Black Shirts. Their obvious goal was to create chaos and mayhem.
Talks were in the process and at one moment it seemed there was a breakthrough and there would be new elections in six months and the Red Shirts would go home. Then there were new demands and talks stopped and both parties accused each other.
The government ordered the military to move in. First they sealed off the area, after which the Red Shirts started fighting back with barricades in the streets and setting tires to fire. The army responded with shooting live bullets. Lots of people died. This lasted for several days.
Then Judgement Day. The army moved in to the protest area. A war was fought in the streets of Bangkok and the army won. But before giving up the Red Shirts or Black shirts set fire to 40 buildings all over Bangkok, amongst which two major shopping malls - one of which the biggest of Thailand. It is likely this was prepared as it happened very sudden and all at the same time. Huge black clouds drifted over Bangkok, the air smelled like fire. The government announced a curfew.
At this moment the situation is getting a little better but it is not safe yet. There's still people out there with guns and people who want to burn things down.
In the 4,5 years I have been living here I have seen the country going from peaceful, fun-loving to the near civil war state it is in now. Very sad and depressing. I am safe and nobody I know got hurt, for which I am grateful.
What the future brings we will see. The country is divided in two sides who hate each other and it will take a lot of time to heal things.
So what is the connection with Red cameras? Nothing of course except in words. It is ironic that things like 'Red Rocket', 'Red Gun' or 'Shooting Red' bring different images to my mind than before, and they are not good ones. I have not had any problems so far with a Red camera in the country or bringing in my Red Rocket through customs. But I do wish sometimes that Red would be less military in their styling and naming of products. War is not a cool game.
For the Thai film industry there will be difficult times ahead. There are wonderful and professional crews here, great set builders, fantastic locations. But if safety can't be guaranteed foreign film crews will stay away. I am happy I just wrapped a feature film a couple of weeks ago, in the current situation we would have been in great trouble.
For anybody who wants to help: please come when things have calmed down. Thailand was one of the best travel destinations in the world and it will be again some day.
Beautiful and horrifying images can be seen here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/crackdown_in_bangkok.html
The attached image is one from the top of my house. Look at the buildings in the distance to get a feel of the scale of smoke clouds.
A group calling themselves the 'Red Shirts' occupied the commercial heart of the city, causing major shopping malls and hotels to shut down. The majority of these protesters were poor people from the country side, mostly middle aged women and men and some children. Their demands were for the government to step down and have new elections, after which they hoped a new government would improve their living circumstances. For the most they were peaceful and you could indeed walk through the protest area without trouble, listening to their music and enjoying their food.
There was also a group of men attacking military and commercial targets with M79 grenades. Who this group is or was is still largely unknown but it is possible they were connected to the Red Shirts. They wore black so they were called the Black Shirts. Their obvious goal was to create chaos and mayhem.
Talks were in the process and at one moment it seemed there was a breakthrough and there would be new elections in six months and the Red Shirts would go home. Then there were new demands and talks stopped and both parties accused each other.
The government ordered the military to move in. First they sealed off the area, after which the Red Shirts started fighting back with barricades in the streets and setting tires to fire. The army responded with shooting live bullets. Lots of people died. This lasted for several days.
Then Judgement Day. The army moved in to the protest area. A war was fought in the streets of Bangkok and the army won. But before giving up the Red Shirts or Black shirts set fire to 40 buildings all over Bangkok, amongst which two major shopping malls - one of which the biggest of Thailand. It is likely this was prepared as it happened very sudden and all at the same time. Huge black clouds drifted over Bangkok, the air smelled like fire. The government announced a curfew.
At this moment the situation is getting a little better but it is not safe yet. There's still people out there with guns and people who want to burn things down.
In the 4,5 years I have been living here I have seen the country going from peaceful, fun-loving to the near civil war state it is in now. Very sad and depressing. I am safe and nobody I know got hurt, for which I am grateful.
What the future brings we will see. The country is divided in two sides who hate each other and it will take a lot of time to heal things.
So what is the connection with Red cameras? Nothing of course except in words. It is ironic that things like 'Red Rocket', 'Red Gun' or 'Shooting Red' bring different images to my mind than before, and they are not good ones. I have not had any problems so far with a Red camera in the country or bringing in my Red Rocket through customs. But I do wish sometimes that Red would be less military in their styling and naming of products. War is not a cool game.
For the Thai film industry there will be difficult times ahead. There are wonderful and professional crews here, great set builders, fantastic locations. But if safety can't be guaranteed foreign film crews will stay away. I am happy I just wrapped a feature film a couple of weeks ago, in the current situation we would have been in great trouble.
For anybody who wants to help: please come when things have calmed down. Thailand was one of the best travel destinations in the world and it will be again some day.
Beautiful and horrifying images can be seen here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/05/crackdown_in_bangkok.html
The attached image is one from the top of my house. Look at the buildings in the distance to get a feel of the scale of smoke clouds.
