» Hi-So Diary 8: Memories of an old hotel Pop Pictures

Hi-So Diary 8: Memories of an old hotel

The final days of shooting (days 8-9-10-11-12) took place at the Bangsak Beach Resort. This is the last remaining hotel that was struck by the 2004 tsunami and this December 26 will of course mark the fifth anniversary of that tragedy. The town of Khao Lak has moved on, all the old ruins carried away by bulldozer. But memories linger on for much longer.

old-hotel

prayer-for-spirit

Every new location we go to, the entire crew lights incense and says a prayer to the spirit of that location. And nowhere was this more meaningful than at the Bangsak Beach Resort. The place is haunted with memories - the Christmas decorations from 2004 are still hanging from the ceiling. So to step foot into such a place, you first need to ask permission.

Films are all about memory. What else is the act of filming something? Throughout the first half of the shoot, we all seemed to be working with memories: memories of youth that inspired the script, memories of places that we once walked, memories of joy and tragedy, and now memories of shooting this film together, taking shape in our minds as the days pass.

scene-1-shooting

scene-1-shooting-b

the-watch-tower

Beautiful things are all around us - you just have to open your eyes and see them. If there is anything to be learnt from the movies, this may be the greatest lesson of them all. So now, as we wrap the first half of High Society and prepare to take a break, these are some of the small but beautiful things we have seen. Or another word for them - memories:

eating-somtum