limbo Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 That's right Soongmak, Checkpoint Charlie closed down late 1989, when the wall came down, there's still a rather good museum though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 Well, there was a check point Charlie bar when Clinton Plaza first opened...was on the side where Monica's was, going up to the White House bar...god I miss that place...might be/bound to be another check point charlie bar somewhere...Asoke? Soi 10? Al just memories now...and what wonderful memories! Did it show where she actually worked...? Anyone spot any landmarks or familiar faces...? I am in some dip shit documentry shot at Lone Staar bar last year...just in the back ground, my Air America friend and I decline the invite to be on camera and speaking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckwoww Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 I am in some dip shit documentry shot at Lone Staar bar last year...just in the back ground, my Air America friend and I decline the invite to be on camera and speaking... Well that is too bad OH. You missed a great opportunity to clear up a few misconceptions about sex tourism. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 Ah, actually, I was afraid of just that. I mean becomming one of the mis conceptions! Actually, as I understand it, it was a peice for German TV about expats living in Thailand, as well as frequent/repeat visitors. They were doing a segment on Americans who stayed after the Vietnam War... Didn't quite fit the bill, and as I believe in honesty in journalism, I declined...my friend declined because he hates reporters... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylus Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 This is the second time I watched this doc. This time I decided to do a little research on what others were thinking. I found this thread and decided to post my 2 cents I have spent quite a bit of time in Thailand and have a few friends who live there. I recorded an DIVX of the film for them. We all kind of agreed that this guy didn't do that bad of a job - you all yourselves said that the girl was the typical story telling bargirl - is that not accurate then? Can the filmmaker really say - "Hey some of these girls love cock in their mouthâ?� - Which I am sure some actually do, but if you took away the economic restraints in Thailand the bars would be pretty empty. It seems that there is a lot of justification going on with some fellow ex-pats. I have to admit that there were a few moments that pissed me off during the film - mainly to do with the seemingly naivety of the filmmaker - but being a film buff I see that the filmmaker took a very voyeuristic approach to the film and just let this girl speak. I'm trying not to defend him too much, but he does say that it is her story (can she not speak â?? even if it is a lie?) and also says, at least a couple of times, that he thinks she's full of shit - in more polite words. Who knows who got final edit over this film, but apparently there is a festival version which has an extra 30 minutes "Farang:Behind Bangkok's Smile" - does anyone have a screening copy?. I'm trying to get a copy - it includes some writer in Bangkok who gives his perspective on the freedom that bargirls have. He also included a Thai business woman with her perspective - I think I read that somebody was concerned that people think all Thai women are bargirls. I heard it creates more balance. It was most likely the broadcaster that cut the bleeding hearts version. There are some press articles that you can read and the filmmaker seems to hold no contempt for sex tourists - just the assholes that abuse the girls - or "jackasses" as he calls them. I guess I have a soft spot for this film because the main character is so likeable, she speaks English, and it reminds me of my first time through Bangkok - which is really what this film is about. The point of any documentary is to present an opinion and then let the viewer decide. Would a newbie traveler to Thailand really have a different opinion of the night scene if they had not seen this film? Maybe a 50 year old male with a bag of non-prescribed Viagra (not that there is anything wrong with that) - but really? I had an interesting conversation with a friend of mine who married a Thai girl. He said he hated the film because now all people who know him and his wife will think his wife was a bargirl. I answered "Well, wasn't she?" He replied" Well, yeah, but...still" . â??Oh no, your secret is out â?? as if anybody thought she was a librarianâ? So in closing - again without trying to completely take the filmâ??s side - look at "Bangkok Girl" as one persons opinion and stop looking at it as an attack on your personal behavior or actions. Prostitution will not end in Thailand, or anywhere else, this film will re-enforce some peoples opinions and those who hold a different opinion will hate it - isn't that what a documentary is supposed to do? In closing, in one of the articles, the filmmaker says something to the effect of he is not trying to stop sex tourism - only create a dialogue. Judging from this board - he has succeeded! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF16 Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 I am sure they are "compensating her for her time." That is exactly what happened. One of the press releases mention paying her barfine' date=' and I am sure Pla convinced Jordan that her time away from the bar was costing her money, so she has to be reimbursed as well. I watched this documentary with my wife, and she was complaining about her lack of sincerity. She thought Pla was constantly telling half-truths, half-lies. [/quote'] Not the first I have read that 'worked bar but not go with customer', but through all the half lies making her look better, the kind of lies we all tell, is the main ghist of the show wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Hippie Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 Yes, the main gist of the show is wrong. Look, we can take anything, bend it "our way" and claim it is responsible. As you and I and others have said, a lot more at work here. This could be her true story, or more likely, she is telling them what they want to hear. How many girls tell a guy "...I hate this job, I cry so much...if someone (meaning the customer at the time) would give me 8KBhat a month (or maybe 5K?) I would be able to quit..." and some dip shit gives it to her, she doesn't quit, and she goes on to other marks...These girls say what sells. The documentry makers know what sells, and get her to say it. So yes, if it is her 100% true story than o.k. lets see her home, her parents, see what her room and life are REALLY LIKE not some bullshit contrived crap. Yes, some girls do not go with customers. Some only go with certain customers...some only give blow jobs etc...never mind all the details here, given the nature of the beast, this program and the girls story are most likely way off reality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AF16 Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 Just skimmed the program and think it were pretty good, hey he actually got the lies and deception to, she went with 'falang' later. Where he differed where that it clearly came across that he was a part of the show, he described his emotions seeing this girl and his distaste of what were going on, his hopes, his dreams for her. To me the points raised in this thread does not matter, the main ghist of it is fair enough, and the girl lying doesn't change that. What I did not like was how he took film of random couples walking down a street with a minsicule blur. I would not like to see my self on a documentary about prostitution walking down the street with my wife. I also reacted when he 'gave the girls' the same protection as the men when bluring out their faces, and later on filmed all the girls alone without blurs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stylus Posted October 4, 2006 Report Share Posted October 4, 2006 From Old Hippy "So yes, if it is her 100% true story than o.k. lets see her home, her parents, see what her room and life are REALLY LIKE not some bullshit contrived crap." There is actually a sequence in the film where he films the girl at her home with her mother. I believe it was at Lad Phrao Road. man I would love to see the raw footage of this film. The blurred faces - at least what I got from the film - was a retaliation because the North American legal process required the filmmkaer to blur only the faces of the men - so he also blurred the women. It looks like this part was filmed out front of the Ambassador Hotel on Sukhumvit Road - can anyone verify this? Also the film shows Checkpoint Charlies as being in Clinton Plaza and I think I have been there. I think it was right in the middle of CLinton - where you go over the steps and into Checkpoint - again I could be wrong, my landmarks may be off. Also, just a side point - there seems to be some dissent over the filmmaker paying the bargirl for her time. Ummmm, when was the last time a bargirl did anything and wasn't paid? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristianTroy Posted October 5, 2006 Report Share Posted October 5, 2006 How many girls tell a guy "...I hate this job, I cry so much...if someone (meaning the customer at the time) would give me 8KBhat a month (or maybe 5K?) I would be able to quit..." Best Of Bullshit i heard! Many many lady bar lie same same, but okay... nevermind! Not me me good lady, me not do nothing wrong! No not my thai boyfriend he, he my cousin of my brother! (i liked that one, coz she forgot that it would be her cousin too). Me only work a gogo 4 days! Phone no battery! Phone kaputt! Phone no signal! Me never go with farang! Cussoma steal me 70,000 baht from my room! My boyfriend he very old man from England, he not touch me, he want to look me! My ex husband steal baby me, now need ticket for norway, me need one million baht! I want nothing in return! Me love you too mudd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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