The Adventure of Sudsakorn was not only the first but also, for now, the last feature-length cel animation produced in Thailand. Written and directed by Payut Ngaokrachang, the father of Thai animation, the surreal fable was based on Phra Aphai Mani, a 30,000-line epic by the Thai poet Sunthorn Phu in the 19th century.
The story follows Sudsakorn, the son of a mermaid, as he embarks on a journey in search of his father Phra Apaimanee, with the magical Nilmangkorn horse as his steed. Taking more than two years to complete, the 82-minute hand-drawn creation started off with 100 illustrators working day and night for the first six months; soon, only nine remained due to insufficient funding. Payut, even though he was losing his eyesight, did the key drawings, layout, and design himself. Due to financial difficulties and the director’s health issues, the film eventually came to a forced end where Sudsakorn failed to meet his father.
(Special thanks to M+ Cinema for the film information.)
