The tale we are about to narrate has an eerie resemblance to reality, a poignant reminder of the tragic harmony of life and art. The protagonist of our narrative is Jonatan, a renowned Israeli filmmaker. We find him in Muang district, Nakhon Phanom province, attending the funeral of an unfortunate soul. The person mourned was Settha Homesorn, a Thai national, who lost his life during the frightful Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, an incident which led to the continuing turmoil in the Middle-East.
Settha Homesorn, a 36-year-old native of Thailand, found himself in the grim tally of 39 Thai individuals who were slaughtered in the militant onslaught. Settha, along with his twin, Jessada, and their younger brother, Pom, had migrated to Israel around 4 years back. The brothers were engaged in different agricultural farms in the vicinity of the treacherous Gaza Strip. While Jessada and Pom managed to survive the deadly event, Settha, tragically, didn’t.
Settha’s mortal remains were returned from Israel to Thailand on November 10 and taken to his birthplace at Ban Nong Doen Pattana, in the tambon Ban Phueng region of the Muang district. A funeral, threaded with strands of traditional Thai rituals, was held in his honor. Interestingly, Settha was the second Thai worker from Nakhon Phanom to fall prey to the Hamas incursion.
In the midst of all this mournful event, the residents were surprised by the arrival of Jonatan, the Israeli man. Jonatan, the creator of a short film aimed to delve deep into the lives of Thai workers in the perilous surroundings of the Gaza Strip, had known Settha personally. In an ironic play, Settha was instrumental in the film as the main character: a Thai worker whose life concludes with a Hamas rocket attack.
Two years back, Jonatan had begun filming this movie intending to capture an exploratory view of the migrant workers’ daily activities. His artistic focus was an uncanny prediction of the forthcoming disaster, wherein the Hamas militants’ rocket attacks on the farms sparked a frantic flight to safety among the workers.
The grief-stricken filmmaker expressed his disbelief and sorrow at the tragic event that had unfolded, mirroring the plot of his film. Yet, in his dedication to his craft, he voyaged to Thailand with the aim to film Settha’s funeral, subsequently blending the poignant scene into his movie.
Jonatan aspired to live alongside Settha’s family for about a week, sharing their grief and extending his condolences sincerely. After completing the film, his ultimate goal is to showcase it to global audiences, thereby conveying the stark reality of migrant workers in conflict zones.
Jessada, mourning the loss of his twin, admitted that despite being aware of the possible Hamas attacks, they never anticipated the catastrophe to be so severe. He expressed his shock at learning that Settha had been captured and held captive during the raid, which eventually resulted in his death.
Despite the tragic loss, Jessada intends to return to Israel for work, lured by the relatively higher wages compared to Thailand. A decision made despite navigating through the tumultuous identification and repatriation processes for his deceased brother with the Israeli authorities, before Settha’s body was flown back to Thailand.
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