Cemetery in Thailand hosts movie nights for the dead- an unusual entertainment for the departed

The film screenings were organised to honour the souls of the Chinese immigrants who settled in Thailand and whose descendants are primarily buried there. Only four staff members supervised the outdoor film screenings, which ran every day from 7 pm until midnight, reported South China Morning Post. (Also Read: Hyderabad man loses ₹12 lakh after falling for FedEx scam, case booked with cyber police)

The news outlet also shared that the employees prepared a feast for the spirits and burned paper offerings such as food, model houses, vehicles, clothing, and daily necessities. The Sawang Metta Thammasathan Foundation arranged the screening event to honour the spirits and provide them with a temporary form of entertainment.

According to Somchai, the event organiser, it is customary in many Chinese communities in Thailand to screen movies for the departed either before or after the Dragon Boat Festival or after the Ching Ming Festival. The event’s contractor, Yanawut Chakrawattisawang, admitted that, at first, he was afraid to project movies in a cemetery. However, he described the experience as unique and positive. (Also Read: Spain to introduce ‘porn passport’. What is it and how does it work?)

It’s thought that unfulfilled desires could be the reason spirits continue to exist in the human realm. These ceremonies serve to console these spirits and give them a sense of remembrance and reverence, all of which lessen their “interference” with the living.