Love over the Borderline: Tenderness and Transformation in Phuttiphong Aroonpheng's 'Manta Ray'

This hypnotic, enigmatic film by Phuttiphong Aroonpheng contains not just hints of famed cineaste Apichatpong Weerasethakul's work, but also subtle commentary on the plight of the stateless Rohingya people seeking refuge in the director's Thai homeland. Nicholas Godfrey examines the depictions of doubling, displacement and common humanity in this impressive feature debut.

Additional keywords:
Asian cinema, Thailand, A Midsummer Night's Dream, refugee, asylum seeker, postcolonialism, Tropical Malady, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, Cemetery of Splendour, Myanmar, discrimination, Midi Z, Poor Folk, Ice Poison, The Road to Mandalay.