Luna Chang

last flame
 

last flame is an experimental documentary of the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine Saphan Lueang, a Mazu Shrine located along Chulalongkorn. Flanked on either side by towering construction sites, the shrine stands as a quiet but potent symbol of resistance against the forces of gentrification, existing defiantly on its own terms.

The building dates back to the 70s, and has been a spiritual anchor for the local Thai-Chinese community. 

However, this bastion of heritage and faith is now under threat. As Bangkok undergoes rapid and often ruthless urbanization, the Chao Mae Thapthim Shrine faces the very real possibility of being erased from the city's landscape. Last Flame captures this precarious moment in time, documenting the shrine's enduring presence amidst an ever-changing city, while raising urgent questions about the preservation of cultural identity and historical memory in the face of modernization.