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| The Iron Ladies | |
|---|---|
 DVD cover. | |
| Directed by | Youngyooth Thongkonthun |
| Written by | Visuttchai Boonyakarnjawa Jira Maligool Youngyooth Thongkonthun |
| Starring | Jesdaporn Pholdee Sahaphap Tor, Ekachai Buranapanit Giorgio Maiocchi Chaicharn Nimpulsawasdi Kokkorn Benjathikoon Shiriohana Hongsopon |
| Cinematography | Jira Maligool |
| Edited by | Sunij Asavinikul |
| Distributed by | Tai Entertainment |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 mins (International version) 117 mins (Thai version) |
| Country | Thailand |
| Language | Thai |
| Box office | 99 millionBaht (US$3,000,000) (Thailand) US$110,825 (US) S$517,163 (Singapore) |
The Iron Ladies (Thai:สตรีเหล็ก orSatree lek) is a 2000 Thaicomedy film directed byYoungyooth Thongkonthun and written byVisuttchai Boonyakarnjawa andJira Maligool. It was Thongkonthun's directorial debut. The film follows the true events of a men'svolleyball team, composed mainly ofgay andkathoey (transgender) athletes.
In 2003, the combinedsequel andprequel calledThe Iron Ladies 2 (Satree Lek 2) was released. The film is based upon how the characters ofThe Iron Ladies met, and how they would later reunite for another volleyball tournament.[1]
The film was released in 2000 and is set in 1996, when the real team competed and won the national championships in Thailand. The two main characters, Mon and Jung, play two gay transgender women, who had been constantly overlooked by volleyball coaches because of their appearance. However, when a local team changes coaches, the new coach holds tryouts for a new team. When Mon and Jung are selected, most of the old players resign, leaving the new coach, Coach Bee, in a sticky predicament.[citation needed]
Mon and Jung are then forced to enlist the help of other gay and transgender friends who they used to play volleyball with in university. These new players include Wit, who hasn't told his fiancée he is gay, Pia, a transgender dancer and Nong, a gay army conscript. When the competition begins, all but one player in the team are gay or transgender.
Because of their appearance on court, many of the match officials intend to ban the team, soon dubbed "The Iron Ladies", from the tournament. However, seeing how much the team is liked by the crowd soon changes many of their opinions.
At the end credits of the film, the real "Iron Ladies" are shown as they were at the time of making the film.[citation needed]
The film grossed 99 millionBaht (US$3 million) in Thailand, and was the second-highest grossing Thai film of all time behindNang Nak (1999).[2] It also reached number one at the box office in Hong Kong.[2] It was the first Thai film to be released commercially in the United States.[3]
A hit in Thailand as well as the international film festival circuit, the film has been nominated twelve times and won ten awards, including theThailand National Film Association Awards,[4]Toronto International Film Festival and the reader award of GermanLGBTQ magazineSiegessäule at theBerlin International Film Festival.[5] It also played at thePusan International Film Festival, theSan Francisco Asian American Film Festival, theMiami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, theLos Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, theSeattle International Film Festival, theSan Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival[6] and the Swedish International Comedy Film Festival.[7]
