An Interview with Waroonrat (Palmmy) Thanaboonsrikoon, creator of VOID (2024)

by Eina Tubadeza

VOID (Waroonrat (Palmmy) Thanaboonsrikoon, 2024)

Within a broken household, a child can only try to fix what is broken in themselves. VOID (2024) is an emotionally charged animated short exploring a child’s turbulent mental state, resultative of their parent’s abusive relationship. The short urges viewers to consider the wider range of victims within DV, where the biggest tragedy may not be the directly abused, but the bystanding children forced to hear their parent’s battles while sitting at the dining table.

If you are a child of DV, VOID is a visceral experience rooted in the metaphorical. Upon finishing the film, there will be a lingering feeling you can only describe as resonance and validation. Each time you recall your own dreadful circumstances, you will recall Thanaboonsrikoon’s protagonist exploding, tearing, shattering – a reflection of yourself.

This week, Eina Tubadeza, part of the MWFF Critics Lab, was lucky enough to discuss VOID with creator Waroonrat (Palmmy) Thanaboonsrikoon. A recent graduate from a Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity at RMIT, she aims to explore the endless possibilities animation holds.

In your director statement for VOID, it states the film ‘visualises the invisible.’ What does this 'invisible' entail, and why is it so important to make the invisible visible?

I was inspired by the articles made by real victims [of domestic violence]. [Children] weren’t seen as victims before, unlike their parents, who were seen as the main victims of domestic violence. [Children have] never been seen as a victim. It feels like with animation as a vehicle, it can show both the [child] victim and the emotional impact.

Absolutely, because the emotions involved with being part of that household environment is so hard to grasp into words…VOID, how did you come up with the title?

By trying to be in their shoes, it must feel like [child victims] are in a pit of darkness. I thought then their chest [would feel like] they are falling into the void – they are overlooked. That’s why I chose VOID.

I really agree with that. There is this emptiness that comes with growing up in those circumstances, perhaps a love that was supposed to be there, but was never really shown.

Animation is such a great form of storytelling. What has enticed you to use animation as an art form?

So currently, I just graduated from the Master of Animation, Games and Interactivity at RMIT. To me, animation is my profession so that’s why I chose animation. With animation anything can be possible, just like as I said with [invisible] emotions [becoming seen]. As well as using animation, the story makes the child being seen as a victim as well.

Animation is so closely associated with children’s media. What does it mean for you to bring mature themes into animation, and do you think there’s a way we can remove the stigma for animation being only for children’s media?

I think that these days animation has been open to a wider range of audiences. Seeing a very cute character contradicting the plot is also my interest because something contradicting can deliver a new meaning without having to tell [viewers explicitly].

During the production of VOID, were there any troubles that you encountered, or any stand out moments for you?

The most troubled part were the metaphorical events that happen with the emotions of VOID. People might not be able to understand the same meaning as what I intended, but I also thought that it is also one of the unique things about animation. It’s up to the audience’s interpretation, because every one of us has a different personal experience of how this feels like, and it feels like those who feel connected to the film will be able to interpret the message that I intended to. So, the hardest part would be choosing the metaphorical objects and events that happened during the emotional moments.

Yes, when I first watched through the metaphorical language in VOID, I couldn’t really put my emotions into words, but it really resonated with me. I could understand everything said viscerally. I think that’s something that can only be found in people who share that experience, so in saying that I think you did a really good job with portraying those emotions.

Thank you.

Having such a personal film be screened at a big event like the MWFF, what does it mean to you, especially as a WOC?

It was a very amazing experience to be able to screen at the MWFF, especially at ACMI. It’s something I never thought would happen. It also feels like I’m not only representing Asian people, but representing everyone, animators included. People have stigmatised animation like “It’s an art job”, something like that. It doesn’t really have a future.

For me, and likely other bystanders of DV, this film is cathartic in representing and validating our experiences as children. Why did you make VOID, and how did this film serve you?

The inquiry of this film in my Master’s course is to explore the use of metaphorical language and autonomy. Other than to explore autonomy, metaphor and symbolism, another aim is to raise awareness of the effect on the bystanders in a DV situation. As I mentioned, I take from real articles and real victims. People often forgot the emotional impact of these victims. They actually have more emotional [impact] on them than people might have thought. That’s why I want to make this film. Every time there’s DV, people focus on the primary victims: the mums, and dads and partners. The child becomes an object – “Oh, the child is fine, this and that,” – but that’s not the case. The purpose is to make [these children] visible to the audience and other people, and to raise awareness of the emotional impact.

For our last question about VOID, if you were to say something to those children out there undergoing a similar situation, what would you say?

I would say that I know it’s a hard situation, and it’s a hard decision to reach out for help as a victim, but I think these days there’s more awareness than before, and there’s so much help you can get on the internet and organisations. They should go and try to get help. Try not to deal with it alone. I know it’s a hard thing to reach out, but people are more open than before.