THE LOST PRINCESS
A FILM BY Kornpat Pawakranond
POST-PRODUCTION GRANT - FALL 2018
The Kingdom of Chiang Mai now annexed into the centralized country of Thailand, the former Kingdom is now merely a charming tourism industry. Princess – it’s a title Chao Doungduen na Chieng Mai, now without a kingdom, has staunchly held onto her royal status through her own means. Creating roles for herself in the rapidly changing world, working for charities and other numerous organizations, the princess used up her time and energy to compensate for her fading power.
Now, at 89 years old, Chao Doungduen na Chieng Mai still strongly believes that she is a princess. Recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, her symptoms cause her to live further in the past. The princess spends most of her time at home, living in a bubble without much interaction from the outside world except when her admirers visit or when asked to preside over an inauguration.
In the modern world, many countries consider the monarchy to be irrelevant, leading those in the system to suffer within the new world, mentally trapping those who had relied on the system to the point of not being able to adjust to the rapidly changing world – just like Chao Doungduen.
In the end, with her memories and status both fading, will her belief in her ‘bloodline’ and ‘title’ bring Chao Doungduen any solace in her final years?