7 September 2026
Inspired by the true story of the murder of an activist from the Karen people – an indigenous minority from the Thai mountains – who was killed following a protest against the forced eviction of his village to make room for a national park, the film transforms the tragedy into a dystopian fable. A mysterious toxic smog begins to engulf the mountain community, triggering a horrific skin disease that seems to burn their bodies from the inside out.
Having studied visual arts at Bangkok’s Silpakorn University, Aroonpheng (born in Bangkok, 1976) worked for years as a cinematographer, notably on Jakrawal Nilthamrong’s Vanishing Point and Pimpaka Towira’s The Island Funeral. His directorial debut, Manta Ray (2018), earned him the Orizzontı Award for Best Film at the Venice International Film Festival. It was followed by his second feature, Morrison (2023). With The Burning Giants, he returns to the Lido in the very section that launched his career.
