Thiti “Tongte” Srinuan, the director of the Thai blockbuster “The Undertaker,” shared a photo during the Taiwan Creative Content Fest in Taipei showing himself defecating on camera for real. The footage dates back to his time as a supporting actor for Taibaan Studio. Srinuan explained that he played a "crazy person" character who "relieves himself wherever he likes."
The production opted for real action over using a prop. Srinuan recalled that "Forty or 50 people were sitting there watching me, and I felt like I couldn’t go," he said. Mr. Knee, the senior public relations manager at Vieshow Cinemas and founding chair of the Taiwan Film Critics Society, moderated the session and noted that the photo was a surprise to the organizers, who had only seen it that morning.
Srinuan stated that the incident demonstrated the studio's commitment to realism, which he believes makes the Taibaan universe flexible. He noted that because every character feels like a real resident of the same village, any character can be pulled out to lead a film, whether the studio wants a romance or a ghost story.
Srinuan, who wrote and directed “The Undertaker” and its sequel for Taibaan Studio, was the sole panelist at the forum discussing how user-generated content is becoming a route to theatrical features. He focused heavily on the financial aspects of the studio. Before “The Undertaker” grossed more than THB700 million ($20.8 million) in Thailand, much of the Taibaan universe was funded by revenue from online music videos. The 2023 film, the sixth in the universe, became the highest-grossing Thai film in nine years.
The franchise is rooted in the culture and language of Thailand’s northeastern Isan region. Srinuan entered the industry as an extra and supporting player. Because the crew was a small group from rural Thailand with little formal training, he volunteered to write scripts and assist in directing, working on five films in those roles. He noted those films played almost entirely to Isan audiences. After a music video he made went viral, he was convinced a film from the region could cross over. When no one else would take his script, he directed it himself.
