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‘Into the Sun’ - another
Lannawood movie?
Steven Seagal looking at some local locales
Marion and Michael Vogt
Hollywood comes to Chiang Mai? Even if not the full-blown
Lannawood studios, at least there is continuing interest in film making in
the north. The latest movie that will be (partly) filmed here, is ‘Into
the Sun’ written by and starring Steven Seagal.
 Steven
Seagal and a friend at Saen Kham Terrace with Marion Vogt, Chiangmai Mail.
Chiangmai Mail had the opportunity to talk to Steven
Seagal when they had dinner at Saen Kham Terrace. Steven Seagal, the
6’4” action movie actor who has spent much time in the north of Thailand
over the last few years, said that the shooting of his new movie ‘Into the
Sun’ by a major film studio (Warner/Franchise) will be mostly done in
Bangkok, but will also bring them to the North for a couple of days on
location.
In ‘Into the Sun’ he will play a retired special
agent who is drawn into the treacherous world of the Yakuza to protect his
family. The movie was written by Steven Seagal and Joe Halpin, and others in
the movie will include Ray Sefo, Rapper Kurupt and Louise Elion.
Seagal is a true devotee of the martial arts and has had
a long acting career. He says that he is still as fascinated with movies as
he was in his first movies, like “Hard to Kill”, or “Under Siege I and
II”.
Seagal fans can look forward to ‘Into the Sun’ and
the real movie buffs are looking forward to seeing another glimpse of
Hollywood in Chiang Mai.
Seagal also confirmed the rumors of his singing career and he told us
proudly that his new CD will be released in France in two weeks time.
New Moon - New Gallery
‘La Luna Gallery’ - a new center for contemporary and abstract art open to the public
Linda Ratchai and Autsadaporn Kamthai
A new moon started shining on Chiang Mai’s art scene.
It belongs to ‘La Luna Gallery’ a new centre for contemporary and
abstract art. At the opening, sixteen artists were featured in the gallery.
 Postcards
and pictures on display
Both Thais and expats were present at the opening. The
three partners who run the Gallery, Sommai Lumdual, Joanna MacLean and Lasse
Norgaard introduced the artists who cut the yellow-blue ribbons to
officially open the gallery.
The artists were Trinh Tuan, a famous Vietnamese
lacquer-painter; Christian Develter, a painter from Belgium; Thaweesak
Srithongdee, Charles Cham, Nueng, Bogie, Therdkiat Wangwatcharakul, Tee,
Kritsana Chaikitwattana, Supachet Bhumkarn, Myint Soe, Thanh Van, Chann
Nyein Kyaw, Louise Truslow and two young Chiang Mai artists, Jittiwut
Sriyang and Wanna Kumsombat.
 Part
of the newly opened exhibition
“The idea behind the gallery is to promote art from Asia and the
Pacific. Simultaneously it encourages and supports the local contemporary
and abstract art scene as well as features international posters and framed
photographs from the region,” said Sommai Lumdual, director of the new
venue located on Charoenraj Road, between the river restaurants and Rimping
Condo. The new moon is shining!
‘City - a record of life in Chicago’
An American cultural exhibition
Marion Vogt
‘City - a record of life in Chicago’ is a
photographic exhibition to promote art and expand cultural exchanges between
USA and Thailand. The content of the exhibition comes from 200 photographers
who spent 366 days in Chicago in the year 2000 to produce a photographic
record of the residents, places and personalities. The end result is an
exciting mix of styles and approaches, ranging from photojournalism to fine
art photography.
 Consul
General Eric S. Rubin during his opening address. (Photo: Supattra
Suttilagsana, U.S. Consulate Chiang Mai)
The exhibition has been on tour since January 1, 2001,
and before arriving in Chiang Mai has toured Europe, the Middle East,
Central America, Africa and Asia, including Bangkok, and Pattani. It is
presented by the Cultural Programs Division and the Chicago Department of
Cultural Affairs, and is funded by the United States Department of State,
Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
U.S. Consul General Eric S. Rubin officially opened the
exhibition at Central Airport Plaza’s Lansilapa Art Gallery on March 17,
saying in his address, “Many of you may have come here tonight with a
particular image of Chicago in your minds. For a long time, Chicago was
America’s second largest city, although that title now belongs to Los
Angeles. It was known as The City of Broad Shoulders in honor of its noble
heritage as a manufacturing, railroad and construction center. It has been
the meatpacking capital of the United States, the commodity trading capital
of the United States, and a beacon of hope for immigrants from throughout
the world. It is also home to one of the world’s busiest and most
important airports, O’Hare International. It is a center of academic study
and research. The secrets of nuclear fission were unlocked in a small lab
underneath the football stadium at the University of Chicago. Chicago also
has some of the world’s best food, from deep-dish pizza to southern
barbecue, from Polish sausage to Ukrainian dumplings. And a growing
Mexican-American population has given Chicago some of the best (guaca)mole
and fajitas to be found anywhere north of the Mexican border.
 Cutting
the ribbon are U.S. Consul General Eric S. Rubin and Chiang Mai Vice
Governor Parinya Panthong. Orachorn Chanwiwatana, General Manager of Central
Airport Plaza, and Jumpol Chutima, President of the Chiang Mai Chamber of
Commerce look on. (Photo: Supattra Suttilagsana U.S. Consulate Chiang Mai)
“The most important thing about Chicago, however, is
its people, whose ancestors came from nearly every country on earth and
every state of the United States. They came together to make the metropolis
on the lakeshore one of the most exciting, diverse and beautiful cities in
the world.”
The
Mount Carmel High School Rugby Club practices a ‘line out’ as they warm
up before their match against Kankakee. (Robert A. Davis, April 5, 2000 at
the Hyde Park)
The exhibition is a photo documentary on living the
American dream in Chicago. It features the multicultural face of the city,
including its civic pride. A visit to Central Airport Plaza’s Lansilapa
Art Gallery will show you if your preconceived ideas of Chicago, and the
‘real’ Chicago coincide.
(Footnote from Harry Flashman Chiangmai Mail’s photography writer :
This concept is a well-tried one, and was similarly carried out in Thailand
in 1987 with 50 of the world’s top photographers invited to Thailand for
one week. The result was published in a book edited by William Warren,
entitled ‘Thailand, Seven Days in the Kingdom’, ISBN 0-920691-37-4.)
Century old photographs brought to life
Astounding Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient exhibition
Reinhard Hohler
30 restored portraits from North-Eastern Cambodia taken
in the years 1890-1906 by Frenchman Adh้mar Lecl่re are being
displayed in the Chiang Mai branch of the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient
(EFEO).
Thomas Baude, French honorary consul and director of the
Alliance Francaise Chiang Mai, opened the photo exhibition on March 20, in
front of an international audience of 50 distinguished guests.
 The
three guest speakers at the opening of the exhibition (left to right):
Gregoire Rochigneux, Dr. Mathieu Guerin and Dr. Andrew Hardy.
Dr. Louis Gabaude, currently the supervisor of the EFEO
in Chiang Mai, introduced the three guest speakers regarding the photographs
taken of the Phnong, a group of highlanders living east of the Mekong River
town of Kratie in Cambodia.
The rare photographs were obtained by Gregoire Rochigneux
from the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia in Bangkok from
the Museum of Alencon in Western France, the birthplace of the former
journalist Adh้mar Lecl่re (1853-1907).
 One
of the 30 pictures taken of the Cambodian highlanders at the turn of the
19th century.
For the first time since they were taken at the turn of
the century, the rare photographs have been shown in Phnom Penh, Bangkok and
now in Chiang Mai.
Dr. Mathieu Guerin, a French researcher and co-author of
a newly published book about the ethnic minorities in Vietnam and Cambodia,
carefully selected the photographs out of the collection of more than 400.
One of the other co-authors, Dr Andrew Hardy from the UK,
gave an interesting talk later that evening at the Informal Northern Thai
Group meeting in the Alliance Francaise, on his research on the Montagnards
of the Central Highlands in Vietnam.
The Adh้mar Lecl่re and the Phnong exhibition is at the EFEO
Chiang Mai on 131 Charoen Prathet Road opposite the Alliance Francaise until
April 8. Entrance is free.
Aromatherapy - Essential oils
and their use and strength
Part 3
Chitra Klanprayoon, Ban Sabai Spa
President Thai Lanna Spa Association
Everybody talks about Aromatherapy. But what does it mean
and how is it used? Here is a little insight on what it means and how you
can select the best for yourself.
Essential oils are the vital life essence of aromatic
plants and flowers in a condensed form. Aromatherapy is the use of essential
oils for their therapeutic effects. Essential oils have been revered for
their fragrance and their restorative effects on the body, mind, and spirit
for thousands of years.
But when to use what? Here are some examples of essential
oils and their use and strengths.
Chamomile (Wild)
Botanical Name: Ormenis multicaulis
Common Origins: Europe and North Africa
Aromatherapy Use: relaxing, replenishing, soothing,
nurturing
Suggested Use: Bath, massage, diffuser, skin and hair
care, compress
Fragrance: a light sweet-herb and slightly fruity scent;
gives perfumes a sweet undertone that is long-lasting
Blends With: Bergamot, Clary Sage, Neroli, Geranium,
Cinnamon, Rose
Medicinal Information: Chamomile has anti-spasmodic,
anti-inflammatory, soothing, anti-allergenic. and sedative properties due to
the complexity of its natural components; chamomile has long been used
alleviating a wide range of ailments, including headache, stomach problems,
painful and irregular menstrual periods, joint and muscular ache, and
difficulty sleeping. Chamomile herb tea is widely available as a pre-bedtime
drink. One of the gentlest of oils - diluted, it is considered safe for
children.
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