My beloved king

My Beloved King portrays the last fifteen days of mourning before the cremation of King Bumibol Adulyadej, known by the tradition as Rama IX and who after 70 years of reign died being the head of state with more time in office.

In October 2017, Thailand is a country that has been wearing mourning for a year, public officials don’t wear a color other than black, shop windows display dark clothes, television entertainment programs, series and movies have been limited on the grid, and what you see in many homes is black and white.

In My Beloved King, the last fifteen days of mourning before the cremation of King Bumibol Adulyadej, known by the tradition as Rama IX and who after 70 years of reign died being the head of state with more time in office, are portrayed.

The reign of the richest monarch in the world, according to Forbes magazine, added up to 19 coups d’état throughout its regency and includes in article 122 of the Thai civil code the Law of lese-majesty, by which, whoever speaks, right or wrong, or defame the monarchy, could face harsh prison sentences.

However, the streets of Bangkok are filled with people obsessed with their monarch a few days before the cremation, squeezed on the sidewalks in the rain to have a good place from which to see the lavish show.

The project tries to capture the feeling of a country that, after the king’s death, does the utmost for preparing the celebration in which the last goodbye will be given.

My Beloved King is built from a western perspective and captured in a photographic report on the streets of Bangkok during the days leading up to the celebration; in addition there’s a compilation of the merchandising and associated products generated from the official institutions and the press that try to reflect the official representation of the monarch.