Cemetery in Thailand holds film screenings to comfort those who have passed

A Chinese cemetery in Thailand has taken the movie going experience to a new level – by holding film screenings for the dead.

From June 2 to June 6, the eternal resting place in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeastern Thailand, which holds 2,800 graves, carefully set out rows of empty chairs.

The graves mostly belong to descendants of people from China who went to live in Thailand, and the film screenings were arranged to commemorate their spirits.

During the open-air film screenings, only four staff members were present, and the films were shown from 7pm until midnight each day.

Staff also laid on a feast for the spirits, burning paper offerings such as food, model houses, vehicles, clothing and daily necessities.

The screening event was organised by the Sawang Metta Thammasathan Foundation to commemorate the spirits and provide them with a modern form of entertainment, according to KhaoSod, a Thai daily newspaper.

Somchai, the event organiser, said that screening movies for the deceased after the Ching Ming Festival or before the Dragon Boat Festival is a traditional custom in many Chinese communities in Thailand.

Yanawut Chakrawattisawang, the contractor of the event, said he initially felt scared about showing movies in a cemetery.

However, he described the experience as unique and positive, as it was his first time providing entertainment for deceased people.

One online observer wrote on Weibo: “This spooky film screening event is actually a very warm idea to make the deceased feel satisfied and the living feel at ease.”

The Chinese community in Thailand, influenced by Confucianism, emphasises filial piety and reverence for ancestors.

It is believed that spirits may linger in the human world due to unfulfilled wishes.

By holding such ceremonies these souls can be comforted, and made to feel remembered and respected, which in turn reduces their “interference” with the living.

Buddhism is the largest religion in Thailand and 94.5 per cent of the population adhere to it, according to the 2015 national census.

Buddhists hold a belief in reincarnation and the afterlife. Many Thais believe that after death, a soul enters a new cycle of rebirth.

Therefore, showing movies to ghosts becomes a way to comfort the departed, allowing them to feel satisfied and ensuring their rebirth.

In December last year, a Thai man held a ghost marriage with his girlfriend who had died of leukaemia, according to KhaoSod.

The bride was represented by a photo and a mannequin dressed in traditional Thai wedding attire. The man expressed his commitment to their love and hoped to comfort her spirit.