On Saturday, August 17, 2024, at 20.00 hrs., H.E. Dr. Nadhavathna Krishnamra, Ambassador of Thailand to Germany, his spouse and embassy officials attended the screening of the Thai film "The Undertaker" at the Schlüter Courtyard of the Humboldt Forum. Prof. Dr. Lars-Christian Koch, Director of the Ethnological Museum and the Museum of Asian Art, Berlin, and Prof. Dr. Hartmut Dorgerloh, General Director of the Humboldt Forum, also participated in the screening.

This screening was part of the Box Office Around the World festival held on August 16 - 31, 2024. The festival featured six popular films from various countries that had not yet been shown in German cinemas. This year’s selection by Ms. Dorothee Wenner, Film Curator at the Humboldt Forum, in collaboration with representatives of international communities in Berlin included films from Argentina, Brazil, India, Nigeria, Thailand and Vietnam.

Before the screening, a panel discussion about the film was held featuring Ms. Elisabeth Schönberger, influencer and co-founder of the Facebook page “Phorbangerman”, Mr. Patrice Ladwig, anthropologist and sociologist, Ms. Parichat Phai, coordinator of Ban Ying Association, and Mr. Eric Wrede, a German undertaker, and moderated by Ms. Dorothee Wenner. Their discussion focused on the roles of undertakers in Thailand and Germany, as well as Thai funeral culture, including local characteristics in the Northeastern region of Thailand. In addition, the Embassy provided complimentary Thai tea and herbal drinks for the attendees of the film screening.

Released in late 2023, "The Undertaker" was directed by the 28-year-old up-and-coming filmmaker "Thiti Tong-Tae." The film became the highest-grossing movie in Thailand in nine years, earning over 730 million baht (19 million Euro), and won the Best Picture award from the Thai Film Directors Association.  "The Undertaker" is a Thai horror film that recounts the story of "Thonglor," a temple undertaker in a rural village who encounters supernatural occurrences. The film, while filled with suspense throughout, also tells a story that reflects the Thai way of life, including traditions and cultures, especially in the Northeastern region of Thailand.