Dark Heaven

Dark Heaven
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Rattana Pestonji
Written by	Rattana Pestonji Suwat Woradilok
Produced by	Suwat Woradilok
Starring	Sutape Wongkamheng Seubneung Kanpai
Cinematography	Prasat Sukhum
Edited by	Tae Kanchala
Music by	Preecha Maetrai
Distributed by	Kachara Film Thai Film Foundation
Release date	1965 (1965)
Running time	102 minutes
Country	Thailand
Language	Thai

Dark Heaven (Thai: สวรรค์มืด or Sawan mued) is a 1958 musical-comedy-romance-drama film directed by Rattana Pestonji and written by Suwat Woradilok.

Plot

A poor orphan girl, Nien, is on the run after stealing some food that a wealthy man had purchased to feed some dogs. She takes refuge with a singing garbage collector named Choo, who hides Nien in his garbage cart while the wealthy man and a policeman search for the girl.

Choo then takes Nien back to his humble shack and gives her shelter. The pair fall in love, but their romance is cut short when he is drafted into the army and sent off to war. For a time, Nien takes over Choo's job as garbage collector, until she is adopted by a wealthy woman, who treats Nien as the daughter she never had.

Choo comes back from the war, blinded by an explosion, Nien, while experiencing unimagined luxuries, is tortured by the conflict between her newfound wealthy lifestyle and her simple life with Choo.

Cast

• Sutape Wongkamheng
• Seubneung Kanpai
• Pensri Poomchoosri
• Adisak Sawatnan
• Chalee Intharawijit
• Prasitisak Singhala
• Brandon Archbald
• Poonsawat Teemakorn
• NellyNut

Production

Dark Heaven was Rattana Pestonji’s first color film. It was produced for Kachara Film company, and shot at Rattana's own Hanuman Film studios. Written and produced by Suwat Woradilok, the story had previously been made into a television drama.

At least three of the people involved with the production went to be named Thailand National Artists: The husband-and-wife team of producer-screenwriter Suwat and singer-actress Pensri Poomchoosri, as well as Chalee Intharawijit.

The film was screened as part of a retrospective to Rattana at the 2005 Pusan International Film Festival. The Thai Film Foundation released the film on DVD, with English subtitles, in 2007.

External links

• Dark Heaven at the Pusan International Film Festival
• Dark Heaven Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine DVD at the Thai Film Foundation (in Thai)