The Paradise of Thorns

In a remote, mountainous Thai village, there is a durian orchard, a paradise Thongkam and Sek have built for themselves from the ground up. After pouring in five years of hard work and sweat, their trees are blooming. While hand-pollinating the flowers to bear fruit, the two men promise an eternity together.

But their dream life is soon shattered when Sek falls to his death. Unfortunately for Thongkam, coping with the loss of his love is only a part of his misfortune. Without his name on the land deed, Sek’s mother — who shows up with her adopted daughter in tow — is entitled to ownership of the orchard. Thongkam must now fight to reclaim the fruits of the couple’s love and labour.

The Paradise of Thorns’ dark, saturated, yet playful colour palette goes hand-in-hand with its soundtrack and narrative, skilfully delivering a catastrophic story with a light touch. It’s hard to believe this is the debut feature of director-writer Boss Kuno. Together with talented musician-actor-model Jeff Satur, Kuno elevates the character of Thongkam, rendering him wholly relatable to anyone who has endured life’s often random and cruel injustices.

As with the durian flowers that need an extra touch to pollinate, it’s imperative to build the right foundations to bear fruit. Thailand’s recently passed same-sex marriage bill — the first in Southeast Asia — is hopefully the first of many. The Paradise of Thorns is a testament to the long struggle ahead.

JUNE KIM

Content advisory: accident trauma, explicit violence, sexual content