Red Dust, Rickety Vehicle: How ‘Once Upon a Star’ Brought Authenticity to 1970s Tale

Once Upon a Star, a cinematic masterpiece directed and produced by Nonzee Nimibutr, swiftly claimed the top spot on Netflix Thailand within its first week of streaming. This movie aims to convey the essence of 1970s Thai cinema to a contemporary audience while preserving the legacies of voice artists and the legendary actor Mitr Chaibancha for generations to come. But filming in the modern day, where traces of the past have largely disappeared, posed its own set of challenges. We take you behind the scenes for an exclusive look on how Once Upon a Star went from concept to topping the charts.

Inspired by Mitr Chaibancha

Director Nonzee has been fascinated by Mitr Chaibancha since his childhood days when the actor’s films were among his favorites. This admiration continued to grow until ten years ago when he decided to make a movie to memorialize the beloved actor, largely due to a personal experience related to Mitr.

Nonzee had lost his car key after finishing some work at The Queen’s Gallery, and despite walking around for an hour to look for it, he still couldn’t find it. He ended up calling his assistant to get a spare key to him. Instead of a woman’s voice, he heard a man replying, “The key is in the parking lot.”

Nonzee went back to his car and found the key right next to one of the tires. “It was at a spot that I’d already searched through many times!”

At that time he didn’t think much about it and continued on his way to meet a friend. “It was only when my friend told me that he saw a tall man sitting next to me that goosebumps broke out from head to toe, and  I was wondering to myself if I should invite Mitr to alight first,” recounted Nonzee with great excitement.

A week later, Nonzee coincidentally met former actor Yodchai Meksuwan and found out that he needed another THB 300,000 to finish a statue of Mitr. With Nonzee’s contribution, the project was successfully completed. From then, he was often invited to make merit in connection with Mitr.

“I have many pictures of Mitr where I work. When making Once Upon a Star, if I ever got stuck, I would turn to Mitr’s photo for guidance. This relationship is similar to the one the Osotthepphayada team haswith Mitr's picture throughout their journey.” 

Incorporating real footage for authenticity

Once Upon a Star includes real footage of Mitr Chaibancha’s funeral at Wat Sunthon Thammathan to enhance authenticity. Nonzee recognized that even the most realistic sets could not fully captivate the sentiments and somber atmosphere of the great loss felt by the people at that moment. Before beginning production, the director and crew contacted Mitr’s relatives to seek permission to convey this historical moment to modern audiences. Mitr’s son gave them his father’s ashes for moral support. Furthermore, to help the cast fully immerse in their roles, Nonzee specifically picked October 8, the day Mitr passed away, to film the climactic scene of the great star’s passing.

Old truck but young at heart: Wading through over 50 locations

More than 1,000 props were created for Once Upon a Star, including key items like Ruangkhae’s typewriter, Manit's cigarette box, bags, shoes, and even newspapers. This meticulous attention to detail was driven by a profound commitment to recreate an authentic 1970s setting in the film. And according to Ek Iamchuen, the screenwriter and production designer, the most challenging aspect of the movie was constructing the vehicle, which served as the mobile home for the characters.

“Initially, we called it E-Kae (Old Woman), but it became temperamental,  so we ended up calling it Nong Som (Little Orange). When I first saw Nong Som in a photograph, I knew immediately it was the car we needed. It took a long time to restore before Nong Som could actually function,” Ek recounted about the making of Nong Som with a smile.

Once Upon a Star' definitely deserves a perfect ten rating for the director, crew, and actors who endured immense challenges behind the scenes to bring it to life in the most realistic way. For those who haven't experienced it yet, we encourage you to dive into the film and get transported back to the days of outdoor cinemas, now available on Netflix!

#OnceUponAStar #NetflixTH

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