A mysterious smoke spreads through the mountains, and people begin to suffer from a strange disease that leaves their skin seemingly scorched by fire. Under the pretext of containing the outbreak, the Thai government forcibly relocates the Karen villagers living in the highlands and burns their homes to the ground. When news arrives that a man has been captured in the restricted area, Aeva becomes convinced that he is her missing husband. Following Manta Ray (2018) and Morrison (2023), inspired respectively by the refugee issue and the legacy of the American military, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng turns his gaze to those marginalized within Thai society. The Burning Giants is a symbolic allegory that examines the alienation and wounds of people who are denied a voice and forced to abandon their own identities, within narratives inscribed by the perspectives of victors and those in power. In the film’s latter half, the story takes a striking turn through a magical masked performance of Ramakien - the Thai adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana - opening the door to yet another story waiting to unfold.
Born in 1976, Phuttiphong Aroonpheng studied fine arts at Silpakorn University and participated in the Asian Film Academy at the Busan International Film Festival in 2009. His short film Ferris Wheel (2015) was screened at more than twenty film festivals, including the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. His debut feature, Manta Ray (2018), won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival along with ten other awards. The Burning Giants, his third feature film, was invited to the Orizzonti section at the Venice Film Festival.
From Busan International Film Festival 2026, No. 31
