Even though it was partly funded by the government's culture board, the Thai film Shakespeare Must Die has been banned by official censors on the grounds that it could cause "divisiveness among the people of the nation." The film is a modern take on Shakespeare's Macbeth , about a general who takes over Scotland by killing the king and retains power by murdering his enemies. Thailand is a Monarchy that has effectively been controlled by the military since a coup overthrew the elected government of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra in 2006. The head of the censor board is a Thai general. The new film was directed by Ing K and Manit Srewanichpoom. In an interview with the Bangkok Post , Ing said, "I asked the committee which part of the film fits that verdict and how I should go back to fix it, but they cannot tell me which scene." He added that he had merely filmed a classic work of Shakespeare. "It's a tale of greed and lust for power. Since we're banned, I wonder if Thai film-makers are allowed to have opinions, to criticize and to reflect on the reality of the situation." Ing said that the decision will be appealed.

04/04/2012