DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Arunsak Ongla-or
The idea for ONE CUT MONK was born during a long-distance fat-tire bicycle journey I made in 2018 from Bangkok to Mae Sai in northern Thailand, covering nearly 800 kilometers.
During this journey, I was inspired by the Japanese one-take film One Cut of the Dead, directed by Shinichirō Ueda, as well as by the story of Luang Por Dee Noh, a monk who encouraged people to see life positively through the simple expression “Dee Noh.”
In the Isan dialect, “Dee Noh” means “It is good,” but in a deeper sense it represents positive thinking and an optimistic way of seeing life even in difficult situations.
In the film, the monk transforms pain into happiness and suffering into peace. Even when a thief attempts to rob him, the monk simply responds:
“Dee Noh.”
And the thief changes his mind.
This film emerged from a ten-year bicycle journey project under the idea of “Cycling in Gratitude, Cycling to Transform Life.” After eight years of this journey, it eventually led to the creation of ONE CUT MONK.
The bicycle I used is a fat bike, a heavy bicycle designed mainly for sand and off-road terrain rather than long-distance road cycling. Choosing this bicycle made the journey slower and more difficult, but it became a practice of endurance and mental discipline.
Over more than eight years, I rode this fat-tire bicycle for over 9,000 kilometers. Cycling became not only a physical journey but also an inner journey that helped heal emotional struggles and gave me strength to continue making this film.
Especially between October 13 and October 23 each year, I continued cycling as a personal act of gratitude, remembering:
King Rama V, the first Thai person ever recorded on motion picture film, and King Rama IX, who played a significant role in supporting Thai cinema.
The monk’s journey in this film was also inspired by peace walks of Buddhist monks in the West, where walking itself becomes a message of compassion and understanding. Over more than eight years, the film went through many struggles. Production began three different times, with several casts and numerous obstacles.
A one-take film cannot be repaired through editing. Once filming begins, everything must unfold continuously until the end in real time.
ONE CUT MONK is not only a film about religion.
It is a film about humanity,
about the possibility of transforming suffering into happiness,
and about the power of positive thinking.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT
Arunsak Ongla-or is a Thai independent filmmaker and producer with more than four decades of experience working across multiple artistic disciplines including cinema, literature, photography, music, events, and cultural initiatives. Among all art forms, cinema has become what he calls his “final artistic devotion.”
More than thirty years ago, Arunsak defined cinema as:
“Film is the fusion of all arts and science.”
This philosophy has guided his creative life. He considers himself a multidisciplinary artist, often describing himself as a “duck artist” — someone who can work across many artistic fields rather than specializing in only one. While his films have not always aimed at large commercial success, he has consistently pursued artistic independence and full ownership of his intellectual property.
Throughout more than 40 years in Thai independent cinema, Arunsak has directed and produced works under several creative aliases, including Nirachon Tulaya, Intouch, John Fujiyama, Juni Gang, and Meiniang, depending on the artistic concept and production context.
His early independent films represent part of the foundation of Thailand’s non-studio indie cinema movement, including:
Freedom Song (เสียงเพลงแห่งเสรีภาพ)
Before the Flowers Bloom (กว่าดอกรักจะบาน)
Meena and the Sun (มีนากะอาทิตย์)
Boonperm the Good Citizen (บุญเพิ่มพลเมืองดี)
Hot Sun Wind and Love is Coming (แดดร้อนลมแรงความรักกำลังจะมา)
Seven Never Hurt (เจ็ดไม่ยอมเจ็บ)
Love Across Generations (รักข้ามรุ่น)
His later film works include:
2008 — The Man from the West, The Child of the East
2014 — 1448 Love Among Us (Director)
2017 — ONLI(n)E: Real Life Must Lie (Producer – Series)
2018 — Way Back Home (Producer – Series)
2018 — The Hero of Srisatchanalai (Short Film Director)
2019 — Blackbars (Producer)
2021 — SEK LOSO: Deep in God Movie Concert (Producer / Director)
2024 — ONE CUT MONK (Written & Directed)
2025 — Bike to Film (Documentary Producer)
2026 — ONE CUT MONK International Release
His feature film ONE CUT MONK is a true single-take film running 100 minutes, recognized as the first and longest true single-take feature film produced in Thailand, and one of the longest real-time one-shot films ever made.
Beyond filmmaking, Arunsak has played an important role in developing Thailand’s independent film community. In 2024 he founded the:
Association of Thai Independent Filmmakers (ATIF)
The organization aims to create long-term support systems for independent filmmakers, including:
Film production funds
Artist residency housing
Filmmaker clinics and mentoring
Emergency support funds
Cooperative production systems
His creative life includes both successes and failures through numerous cultural projects such as:
Pai Film Festival
Pai in Love Festival
Music Film Festivals
Cowboy Party cultural events
Patpong street music events
Chiang Khan film productions
Nationwide peace paper crane project
Arunsak is also the founder of the cultural food community “Authentic Thai Food – Mother’s Recipes,” with nearly one million members online.
In addition to filmmaking, he is a long-distance cyclist who has traveled more than 9,000 kilometers over eight years on fat-tire bicycles, an experience that became the foundation of the documentary project Bike to Film.
His life and career reflect a journey through artistic experimentation, independence, and perseverance, making him one of the distinctive figures in Thailand’s independent cinema movement.