By DPA
Bangkok: Thailand’s first animated film of the life of the Lord Buddha will open in cinemas on Dec 5, commemorating the 80th birthday of the much-revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, media reports said Thursday.
The 100-minute production received the backing of eight government agencies on Wednesday, said the Bangkok Post.
Producer Valapha Pimthong said she chose to make a cartoon version of the Life of Buddha to make it easier for young people to understand the Buddha’s teachings.
“Producing a movie about the Lord Buddha is a really a tough job,” said Valapha, who has spent the past four years working on the production. “Funding is one of the problems as it proved impossible to get a bank loan for the project.”
She estimated the total production cost at 108 million baht ($3 million).
More than 90 percent of Thailand’s 65 million population profess to be Buddhists.