A THAI ODYSSEY IN GOOD VOICE

Taking a pair of scissors to your own work is a difficult task, but when you're the director, cinematographer, and writer of a movie, it’s downright impossible.

- Story by WILLIAM NIALL MORRIS

Every shot, every word, every emotion is infused with the unconditional love of a parent. To cut anything must feel like an act of betrayal.

But, when it comes to writing and creating, the phrase “kill your darlings” refers to exactly that. It’s not, as it sounds, a gruesome scene from a Hitchcock shower sequence, but rather a phrase by the British writer Sir Arthur Quiller-Couch in his 1916 book, On The Art Of Writing. His memorable words “murder your darlings” — though often paraphrased — have endured in the literary world because he made a very good point.

Put simply, it means: get rid of the bits you love, because they are most likely not serving the plot.

Dream! is a musical film set in Thailand, written and directed by Paul Spurrier, and the only thing stopping it from being a landmark in its genre is — you guessed it — a red pen.

The movie is set in the wonderful Thai countryside and opens with a to-die-for sweeping shot across the rice fields, landing us on the playground of a junior school. The first scene, with local children earnestly debating why Father Christmas never makes it all the way from the North Pole to Thailand, is adorable. Each child brings their own unique sparkle to the screen and it is here that Spurrier reveals himself as a master director, instinctively understanding how to capture children on camera.

Their striking innocence and unfiltered honesty are beautifully observed, and it is in this respect that the movie truly sings.

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