Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Zom Ammara Interview (Ammara Siripong) (Dan's Movie Report Exclusive!!)



After seeing Chocolate and Kill 'em All I decided to do a bit of research on actress Zom Ammara. As it turns out, Zom is a true triple force of nature. In addition to literally kicking some major ass on screen, Zom has a morning radio show called Get Divas on Thailand's Get 102.5 radio station. She is an expressive singer, with a diverse following. In addition to her talents, Ms Ammara has diverse musical influences, and as a former college radio DJ myself, this interview is a real treat. At the end of the interview check out the links to listen to her radio show, and how to follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Without any more of my blustering, time let Zom unleash her entertaining, at times bone crushing, cranial blast of text on my valued Dan's Movie Report Readers, haha, all of you have been warned! It is time to take a trip to Thailand Zom style!

Chat about your childhood upbringing, did you always love music, and performing? Also please chat about you tattoos and their significance.

I am the big sister of four younger brothers. I always lead the play when we were together. I went to boarding schools and grew up with 1,000 young ladies till 18, what a conflict!....Home=Man / Society = Woman.. And yes I always lead all play with those ladies. But somehow, I am more gentle to ladies than the men, which made me be friends with ladies better. For men …I’m more like their boy-friend not girl-friend haha.

My dad is a doctor, both him and my mom love reading a lot. I was nurtured surrounded by books and cooking and blood and death.
So yes… another conflict warm family and cold experience.
As my dad was a doctor he taught me to dress a wound and took me to see more than 50 dead bodies I the hospital he was the director. He taught me about pain and Buddhism.



I read lots of books, and several kinds of stories that  have influenced me to have a tattoo since I was 14. I told my mom that I "wanna" have one. She told me that normal people don't have tattoo…at that time they compare tattooed people like prisoner. We made deal that I could have a tattoo when I turned 18…My mom might thought that I would forgot, but I researched about what tattoo I will have instead, haha.

Above Pic: Get 102.5 Photo Shoot 2013.


Shed a bit more light about the tattoos.

The lady on my arm is a goddess of wisdom, arts, religion and philosophy. Her name is Sarasavati….more info about her? Google it.
Reason I like to have her picture on my arms is the meaning of all my interested wisdom, arts, religion and philosophy. On my back is a flower which represents another of my big interests,  which is nature.


Discussing acting, how did you get the part in Chocolate? Describe the audition process. Share a story from the filming of Chocolate. The emotional mindset.

In Chocolate I went to the audition where I was asked to act as the mom. So yes, I think about my mom, we really love each other and she is the best woman in my life. Plus, I thought about the Buddhism way about birth… I think when I was being born, the person who got the most pain on earth is my mom. She must love me so much to be so brave that her body could tear apart giving birth to me. Everyone cries when we were launched to living…No beauty at all …it full of pain in living (that's why humans always create art, to give passion to living) Anyway, I think when everyone celebrates their birthday, they should celebrate for the bravery of their mom.
 

Turning to acting in Chocolate which multiplied those brave characteristics of a mother raising her child alone,  and protect her the best she can even though the way of communication to her child is very limited as the child has autism. In conclusion of giving even her own life for her child to live.

Plus one funny story about my mom, the most tenderly lady, and got up with a fork (or something) to protect my younger brother from a fight in a restaurant. All of that is how I flow with the emotional mindset in Chocolate.

Above pic: Zom Ammara trains for Kill 'em All.

Chat about how you became involved in Kill Em All?

After Chocolate launched, I was contacted by a producer from Epic film that's how it started.

Tim Man says you only had one month of training, prior to principal photography, did you have prior martial arts experience to Kill Em All? Any bumps and bruises with the training, maybe share a story from the training, and one from production.
 

I never have any prior martial arts experience in my life (Ed note: wow!). I think what helped me a lot in the quick training was my sport and game experiences, movies, and the Tim Man method of training. Sure you will have bumps and bruises when you do martial training or any new sport you are trying. Key is to know the limit and nature of your body. I just have fun with Tim Man training. It’s like I am play-fighting with my brothers. Most of the stuntmen I practiced with had pain. Not me… they protected me from getting hurt but I did not know how to protect them back then. 

Sometimes, when I was really tried from shooting from 6 pm. to 6am, the next morning my brain started to get hot. I put some ice on my head like a boxer. We kept kicking and punching to get the best shot for more then 7 hrs. Around 8 am on that morning we shot the final take of the fight between Mickey(in Kill Em’ All) and me. We were all tried. Like I told you, I’m not built to miss the hit. What we were trained mostly is for me not to hit my colleague. I was so tired, but I tried to concentrate before every move for more than 6 hrs, ...And Mickey was really tried, noticeably, from his slower moving. In the Killing Chamber, Mickey must move away from my fist, and I must not hit him. You know what happened… Yes…I broke his nose!

Ouch! note to self back away! I asked Tim about the final edit of Kill Em All he was honest and said he was not happy with it, do you feel things could have been changed?

Honestly, I did not have the time to see the completed film yet.

How was it sharing screen time with Gordon Liu, were you nervous, talk about the final fight for Kill Em All.

It’s really the best experience for me, acting in the scene with Gordon Liu. He is like the real master from Shaolin. We talk about Buddhism ‘s way and mind control. He’s also a real gentleman which we rarely find in this world nowadays. One word description of him, “ REAL”!!!.

Above Pic: Zom Ammara Gets her brick, on a well deserving thug in Kill 'em All!

Do you like the tough girl movie roles? If so Who are some of your acting influences for action films?

Yes I like it. All actor and actress that make you chill & trill (true and real) also affect me. For me I cannot count the number of them.
 

Calm & Powerful is what I chose to put in Kill 'Em All. Please imagine Gong Li + Edward Norton + Bruce Lee. Haha. (Ed note, that is one diverse combination!)

The two films you have been in are both action oriented, do you like these types of films, would you like to do other types?

I like these types of films, the same as cartoon animation, “5th Element” “Notebook” and “Gone with the Wind”. I like to do other types also. The only scene I cannot act in is the love scene. The director must say cut for more than 1,000 times if you asked me to you that. I just cannot do it with person I did not have the feeling for. But doesn’t mean that I always have the feeling to kill people so I can do Kill Em’ All! HAHA!

Above Pic Zom Ammara (C) 2012  ActionVIP photographer Panuwat Wiriya
https://www.facebook.com/vipaction



I noticed you have many career paths, singing, Radio DJ work, and acting, is there one that stands out in your life currently, or do you let life flow, and whatever path it takes.
 

Yes that's how I live. Singing is what I love the most, it makes me alive literally!! I am also a creative manager and marketing manager for some companies and being a consultant for some projects under my company. Now I am working the most passionate project of mine which is a comic story….



Shifting to you musical side, prior to discussing the comic, chat about Zom Ammara and being the "Rasta Queen" how did that nick name come about is it musically related?

Yes, I was called Rasta Queen because I’m the first lady who writes and sings Reggae- Ska-Reggaton in Thailand. Actually I like all kind of music from Jazz to electronic, Trace to Rock to Tribal Drum n’ Bass.

Describe your mental preparation for a musical performance? Does it differ from acting?

It’s like leading a troop if I must explain…I put my heart into my audience’s heart and ride the feeling with them. Yes, it differs from acting which I have to put the heart of the character, act and react as the nature of that character being. It’s all about understanding the human being but somehow I don't understood my lover much.

Chat about the bands you have been in and their musical style.
Share a funny or unusual band story.


My own band plays live music with 5 musical instruments. We Play the combination of Rock/Reggae/HipHop Beats with Blue & Jazz tone. These guys are also another group of my younger brothers. I also had chance to jam special project with Gan Core Club.

As I always like to go to the sea and I did lots of environmental projects. One of the project was at Koh Tao , south of Thailand during the time Tsunami happened in 2005. I am a part of organizing the largest diver gathering in Guinness Book 2005 to stop Global warming.

My musicians always support me by doing nothing that could interrupt me in the event organizing. They like to play cards. One of the card games is named, "The Drinker", Whoever loses the game has to drink …water or Vodka…or whatever was agreed before each game. I don’t drink alcohol. When I played cards with them it was just to relax after the organizing part. They changed the agreement into the loser having to take off their clothes. I always won (or even if I lose some of them will be gentleman and take off their clothes) …. That’s how they show love and respect to me. Anyway, it wouldn't be fun if I didn’t show the “Boss” role, so after 2 of them lost ...I ordered them to jump across logs on the beach in front of many beautiful blonde ladies getting tans, lying on that beach in Koh Tao. You have my free copyright to use this game to play with your close friend who is always pain in the ass.
.
That is a interesting story haha!  Shifting gears you chatted in your previous answer about global warming, what are the names of the charities your work with?
 

Royal Project foundation
http://www.royalprojectthailand.com


Habitat
http://www.give2habitat.org/thailand/habitatyouthbuild2012
 

Princess Pa foundation
http://www.princess-pa-foundation.or.th/index.html


What are some your favorite aspects of being a Radio DJ? Do you like the interviews, chatting with callers, and the music?

Man…I’m a singer. I love music. Being a Dj keeps me updated on music. I always like to listen to people, but the part that I like most about radio is this program, GET DIVAS. This morning program is very special to me, because I am always surrounded by men in difference dimensions of my life. GET DIVAS is the combination of four women talking about all dimensions of life. All means politics, cooking, country, love, beauty, sex, family, sports arts, human behavior, children, environmental…. You never know what is in a woman's  head, but you will know if you listen to GET 102.5 GET DIVAS.

What is in the future for Zom? More movies, DJ, singing. Upcoming projects, chat about the Souls that you mentioned earlier?

Above pic: Concept for Souls


SOULS is my upcoming project I am sleeping with for 2 years now..as I told you in the beginning, whoever wants to support me please contact freedom.zom/gmail.com


Souls” The Romantic Thriller story of life that I originated was choreographed by a mix martial art guru and me. Aim to endorse spiritual way of thinking and also promote Buddhism warrior’s way of living to world.
Plus putting back “Thailand soul of nation” to the Thai teenager – young adult.


Here is the backstory:

Thailand, 220 years ago… Many wars all over Thailand in order to win the country lead by King Taksin. Nearly the last war Siam had to win over Chiengmai. Two warriors fall in love and because of that love  the war was won and Thailand was united. The King Taksin’s warrier (TidMun) married a Chieng-mai female warrier (Kumjao). TidMun got lots of rewards and one of them was a very special sword named Lotus. Lotus Sword was made by combination of white magic materials and had tremendous power. But Thailand was still in war with Burma. TidMun & Kumjao had to fight together under the name of King Taksin & Chieng-mai army until they both died. Only the lotus sword was left as the witness to their love and brave.

Thailand 2012, a politician(Chan) wanted to gain his power in politics so he ordered his right hand(Kiri) to get the powerful historic sword(Lotus). But the Lotus sword is in the personal gallery of an good American millionaire(Paul) who adopted his dead friend’s daughter(Bua). Paul wanted Bue to secure the Lotus sword back to Thai nation gallery in order to be seen as one of the weapons to gather the nation. Bua had to travel with a history university professor(Satra). Bua and Satra had to fight with Kiri and his crew for the mission. If Kiri could take the Lotus sword, Chan would make his sorcerer (Raung) set the ritual to have the power to be able to order anything to rule politics of the nation.
 
This mission for the nation bring back Tidmun & Kumjao from last life as Bua & Satra.
 
Does Love over the Life time will win over the curse of Karma?
The Romantic Thriller story of life “Souls”.
 
• East Asia Wisdom and philosophy
• Buddhism idea
• Strong Beauty of Thai mutual art and mix
• True Love over life time

That sounds fantastic, I am looking forward to that ambitious project! That about wraps it up for now, thanks again Zom for taking time out of your busy schedule to conduct this detailed interview. I wish you best of luck on all of your future endeavors, and will look forward to write about them! Special thanks to my mom for help with the editing, please check out her site @ https://sites.google.com/site/susanshamon/susanshamon

Watch for more exclusives on Zom in the future on Dan's Movie Report!

Before you check out the links check out her one of her music videos on YouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sb6sKYKBLuo

For further info on Zom, check out these sites:

Official Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/ZomRastaQueen?ref=ts&fref=ts

Official Twitter:  https://twitter.com/Zom_Ammara

Get 102.5 official Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/get1025?ref=ts&fref=ts

Get Divas official Facebook https://www.facebook.com/GetDivas?ref=ts&fref=ts

Although Zom's radio show is on in the morning in Thailand, the time difference in the USA makes it available to listen live from 8pm to 10pm est Sun thru Thursday. in the USA. The dialogue is in Thai, but they do play a wide variety of English Music! So expand your mind and check it out!!! Listen world wide on the internet!

http://www.clickradiofm.com/1025.php

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