Un Certain Regard: “Kuaile Congchang” by Ekachai Uekrongtham

Kuaile Congchang (Pleasure Factory) is an intimate and charming portrait of Geylang, Singapore‘s little-known red-light district. It brings together characters in search of
pleasure and those with the wherewithal to provide it . Selected for Un Certain Regard, Pleasure Factory is the second feature-length film by Ekachai Uekrongtham, a
Thai screen and stage director who has won many awards at home.

“In the old days, the Geylang area used to be populated by processing factories for the coconut plantations,” Uekrongtham explains.
“These days, the machines are still running at full steam – producing pleasure for those seeking it, night after night. With Pleasure Factory, I’ve tried to strip
bare the shields that prevent characters in the film from experiencing true pleasure. I’d like the film to have a vivid sense of realism and honesty. I’d like it to confront a world that’s at
once seedy and beautiful, dark and bright, sad and humorous, cold and warm, naked and all wrapped up. If pleasure can be mass-produced, what would be left on the assembly line when the machines
stop?”

Photo copyright Déborah Corcos