The Last Executioner Star Wins Best Actor at Shanghai Film Festival
Vithaya Pansringarm, the star of the film “The Last Executioner”, has been awarded the Best Actor award at the Shanghai International Film Festival. “The Last Executioner”, directed by Tom Waller, depicts the life of Chavoret Jaruboon, Thailand’s last executioner by gun. A wild rock and roller in his youth, Chavoret served at the infamous Bangkwang Prison for 33 years, 19 as the executioner. He executed a total of 55 people.
Vithaya’s outstanding and complex performance depicts Chavoret’s struggle to reconcile the good and bad karma that came from his decision to take a “respectable” job to support his family, to which he was uniquely devoted. Vithaya (Pu) was born in Bangkok and went on to study in New York City where he worked for a while as a graphic designer, after which he moved back to Bangkok with his wife, an American ballet dancer. Together they founded Rising Star Dance Studio.
An ardent environmentalist and president of the Thailand Kendo Club, Pu made his international film debut in 2009 in the Hollywood production “The Prince and Me: The Elephant Adventure.” This role led to his casting as Father Ananda in Tom Waller’s “Mindfulness and Murder,” earning him the 2010 Best Actor award at the ThrillSpy International Film Festival in Washington, DC. After several other international roles, Pu was cast by Nicolas Winding Refn in the leading role of Police Lieutenant Chang in “Only God Forgives” opposite Ryan Gosling and Kristin Scott Thomas.
“The Last Executioner” will be released on 40 screens in Thailand on 3rd July 2014. for more information, please visit the website www.thelastexecutioner.com
I had the honour to meet “the last executioner” a few years ago, a really interesting guy, we were roughly the same age and had a similar career path.
A really Interesting and genuine guy and I was saddened by his passing.