"World of Himmapan" breaks new ground for Thai TV production, with more than 5,000 CGI shots in an ambitious multi-dimension story set in a mythical forest. The series’ director, Taweewat Wantha, talks to Vanita Kohli-Khandekar about the latest BEC World/Channel 3 original production. 

Thai filmmaker Taweewat Wantha is all about novelty in storytelling. His search for different kinds of stories has taken him from "Sars Wars" (2004) about a mutant SARS virus in Africa to The Sperm (2007), about a teenage rock musician’s sperm that escapes and impregnates local women. There’s also 2013 horror film, "Long Weekend", about a bullied boy who goes missing on a cursed island. And now, his latest work, ambitious CGI-laden TV series, "World of Himmapan" ("Phihob Himmapan"), for Thai broadcaster BEC World/Channel 3.  

The series tells the story of Pim (played by Matira “Yam” Tantiprasut), whose quest for a legendary stone with the powers to heal her father leads her into the beautiful but dangerous Himmapan forest. Over 17 episodes of 85 minutes each, her search unearths secrets and connections from past lives and universal human desires and conflicts. 

The series once again pairs Tantiprasut and Thai singer/actor, Louis Scott, perhaps best known for his role as Constantine Phaulkon in 2018 Thai blockbuster series "Love Destiny". The two co-starred in 2018 Thai romcom Tai Peek Pak Sa. 

In "World of Himmapan", Scott plays Krit, a handsome and stubborn hunter Pim hires to guide her through the unchartered terrain. Suriyont Arunwattanakul stars as forest master Singhol who, unbeknown to them, has orchestrated their dangerous journey.  

"World of Himmapan’s" budget has not been disclosed, but the copious amounts of computer-generated imagery (CGI) from Thailand’s FatCat Studios, could make it the Bangkok-based network’s most expensive show. 

Ahead of the "World of Himmapan’s" debut on the international market, we spoke to Wantha about directing a series that goes to places he has never been before and charts new paths for Thai TV production. 

Your choices of stories is rather eclectic. What drives them? “I try to see if I can convey Thai stories internationally. There has to be novelty in the series/films; they have to be different from the current ones.”
 
What attracts you to films? ”My family owned a chain of convenience stores. And it was impossible for us to shut the stores for long and take a holiday. So every time we wanted a break we went to the movies. I have been watching a lot of movies from the age of two. That is how my interest in stories and storytelling was born.”  

How did you move into television production? “TV and films have different target groups. With films the main audience is teenagers, but TV has different age groups. It is more challenging. Cultures can spread quicker and be presented in a more contemporary way through TV. One day, Narit Yuvaboon (the producer of many series including "World of Himmapan") asked me to do a TV series with him. That is how I started, from a one-off mini-series.”

Do the two mediums (TV and films) demand different things from you? “Both require comedy and fantasy from me. So, I don’t think they’re different.” 

In a world where streaming and broadcast TV co-exist, how does your creative approach change based on format? “It has an effect on my concept of work development. Earlier we just had to compete domestically, now we have to compete with the rest of the world. But I think it’s good for the development of our work.” 
 
What attracted you most to the World of Himmapan? “My childhood dream of doing monster movies and adventures, like in the "Indiana Jones", in the "Avatar" worlds, and teasing comedy that I’m good at.” 
 
What did you want to highlight in the story? “There’s a belief in Thai dramas that if you used to be lovers in the past lives, you will be in love again in this life. In World of Himmapan, I presented another angle. If the hero killed the heroine in a past life, will he kill her again in this life?”  

What challenges did this level of CGI pose? “Since CGI was the first thing needed to create a world in which this story exists, our very first challenge was that every related section had to be planned well and work in a way that enabled the CGI process. This is the first TV series with over 5,000 CGI shots; the most among Thai TV series.” 

When telling a layered story like this, how do you ensure the CGI doesn’t overwhelm? “CGI helps support the World of Himmapan so that the audience will believe that it really exists. I had to make sure that our storyline was strong enough, that audiences would be excited with our story. They have to wait and see what the characters will face in the next phase of their journey.” 

When you first read about the parallel universe, how did you visualise it? Did that vision change over the course of the series? “My first visual was… "The Lord of the Rings". We had to do lots of preparation. "World of Himmapan" script was in development for almost two years. The production was much easier because we were well-prepared.”

What does this series add to you as a creator? Is there anything you wish you had done differently? “World of Himmapan" was a big challenge and there is still a lot more. What I did in the series was a big change for Thai TV series; I am satisfied with what we did. I hope that there will be more different kinds of stories that Thai series offer.”
 
What role do you think "World of Himmapan" plays in the Thai entertainment industry? “World of Himmapan" is different and very new to the Thai TV series world. There are lots of positive comments and reviews from audiences for our creative way of using CGI, how we made the story entertaining with knowledge about the forest. It was difficult, complicated, time consuming and required a large investment. For example, the flying bird called Garawaek, which appeared for all of six seconds, took several weeks to create.” 

Which series have impressed you most recently? Which contemporary filmmakers/creators do you admire most? “In the past few years, I think characters in the Thai TV series are clearer and they show their characteristics to the fullest. In "World of Himmapan", "Love Destiny" (highest rated TV series in 2018) and "Nakee" (award winning series in 2016 with special effects by FatCat Studios too). Some of the filmmakers/creators I admire are… Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, John Landis, Sir Alan Parker, Peter Jackson, Adrian Lyne and Robert Zemeckis.” 

Published in ContentAsia's April 2021 magazine