Synopsis
A new semester begins at Sawasdee High School. Arnold wins a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad and becomes the school’s model student, favored by the school principal. Arnold has as his primary goal the desire to enter a reputable university (a goal shared by the school), but he begins to struggle when a dark temptation emerges. Meanwhile, an incident of violent punishment at the school is shared on social media causing outrage among students. Sorayos Prapapan, an alumni of BIFF Asian Film Academy, has been internationally promoted through his short films satirizing Thai society. His debut feature elegantly reveals his typical sarcastic yet humorous style. The actual ‘bad student’ movement against the Thai authoritative school system was taking place during the production of this feature, and enriched the texture of the film even more. The film depicts a story specific to Thailand today, but the look and feel of the film are universal.
Director
Sorayos Prapapan
Born in Thailand in 1986, Sorayos PRAPAPAN is an independent filmmaker and alumni of the Asian Film Academy of the 2013 Busan International Film Festival. His short, Boonrerm (2013), was invited to the Busan International Film Festival. His short, Death of the Sound Man (2017), won the Venice Orizzonti Award, and played as part of the Busan International Film Festival’s Wide Angle program. Prelude of the Moving Zoo (2020) was screened at the DMZ International Documentary Film Festival Shorts Competition. Arnold in a Model Student is his debut feature and was invited to the Locarno Film Festival’s Cineasti del Presente section.