"I was hesitant to make a film about Nong Toom's life at first. I'd heard of her and was intrigued by her story. To me, she's a walking paradox: a lethal kickboxer who fights like a man but dreams of becoming a woman. The conflicts within such a young person must have been extraordinary. There's certainly a fertile ground there for a great deal of dramatic exploration. But I was not sure if I'd be able to find an emotional anchor in her controversial story for myself, for the audience.
My first meeting with Nong Toom took place not long after she's had her sex change operation. Admittedly, I went to that meeting with some pre-conceived ideas about who she is, the boy she was and the man she used to be. She surprised me.
So here it is… a story of a human being who goes on an emotional journey to try to match his heart with his body. Masculinity vs. Femininity. Heart vs. Head. Dream vs. Reality. Fighting vs. Living." --Ekachai Uekrongtham
Director & Producer
Thai-born Ekachai Uekrongtham is an award-winning theatre director and founding artistic director of ACTION Theatre, a Singapore-based professional theatre company. Best known for conceptualizing, directing and producing Chang & Eng,
the acclaimed stage musical based upon the true story of the original Siamese Twins, Ekachai has directed and produced numerous productions of plays and musicals in Singapore, China, America, Malaysia and Thailand. These include Corporate Animals - The Musical, Ka-Ra-you-OK?, Viva Viagra!, Autumn Tomyam, Mail Order Brides & Other Oriental Takeaways and Confessions of Three Unmarried Women. He has also directed Asian premiere productions of Margaret Edson's Wit, Craig Lucas' Prelude to a Kiss and A.R. Gurney's Love Letters.
A recipient of the Singapore Youth Award and the Culture Award presented by the JCCI Foundation in Singapore, Ekachai was named one of the 20 Leaders of the New Millennium for Society & Culture by Asiaweek. He has also headed the Creative & Development Unit at GMM Pictures Thailand, and the Singapore headquarter of Sir Cameron Mackintosh, international producer of Les Mis?rables and Miss Saigon. Beautiful Boxer is Ekachai's feature film debut.
