Pimpaka TOWIRA

Born 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand
Based in Bangkok, Thailand

Has been making experimental short films and documentaries mainly dealing with issues concerning women since 1988. Among her more important works is Mae Nak (1997), a deconstruction of a famous Thai ghost legend. Her feature film debut, One Night Husband (2003), was screened at numerous international film festivals and led to her becoming the first female Thai film director to gain recognition on the international stage. She has acted as director, screenwriter and producer on all her films to date. In 2007 she established the Extra Virgin film production company as part of a move towards focusing on producing work by up-and-coming filmmakers. Her second feature film, The Island Funeral (2015), is based on her recent travel experiences and follows a young woman, her brother and his friend on a road trip to a mainly Muslim region in southern Thailand that leads them to an isolated island. Set against the backdrop of the recent political instability in Thailand, the film throws into relief people who search for an ideal world through the association of the memories of the self and others while at the same time dealing with the internal contradictions within each individual concerning the past and memories.