Reflections on Marginal People and Intertextuality between Films and Social Conditions in Contemporary Thai Film

Abstract

This article is part of the thesis on “Reflections on Marginal People and Intertextuality between Films and Social Conditions in Contemporary Thai Film.” This research has studied reflections on marginal people in film and the relationship of the characters with the real social conditions presented in the film. The researcher has chosen to introduce the concept of the process of marginalization, the concept of semiology and the concept of intertextuality. This research has adopted a qualitative research method, using the textual analysis method. The researcher selected five contemporary Thai films: Manta Ray, The Farewell Flower, Thibaan The Series, Latitude 6, and My Bromance, selecting only those films that led to exposure, audience acceptance, or awards in various arenas. Only films that present a reflection of marginal people through the plot, characters, and context in the film are selected. The results of the study found that reflections on marginalized people in these five contemporary Thai films have presented symbols representing the meaning of marginalized people, such as the sea, forest, Bai Sri, or language, to show marginalization in various dimensions in Thailand, including ethnicity, gender, religious, and geographic diversity. Regarding the issue of relations, it was found that all five contemporary Thai films presented the process of becoming marginalized under academic information and factual information. From the research results, it can be explained that filmmakers have an understanding of the process of marginalization based on a particular set of data, conveyed through the artistic process of storytelling, and are an important voice in creating knowledge and understanding for the audience.