Second feature film by Frank Gastambide, “Pattaya” was a huge commercial success, confirming the director’s potential. Among the long cast of the film, we find the actor Said Bogotá, for whom this is the first feature film … and perhaps the last given his legal setbacks thereafter.
Pattaya : Frank Gastambide’s crazy comedy
After experiencing a first promising success with The Kaira (taken from his web-series broadcast on Canal), Frank Gastambide wants to confirm with Pattaya. Wanting to offer something different, it not only has a bigger budget than the previous film, but it relies above all on an impressive cast with in particular Gad Elmaleh, Ramzy Bedia, Sabrina Ouazani and Malik Bentalha. Not to mention guests such as Cyril Hanouna, Fred Testot, Booder, Seth Gueko or even Rim’K.
Shot in the Pattaya seaside resort (in Thailand), the film of the same name follows Franky and Krimo, young losers from the suburbs who dream of leaving their city to spend a stay under the Thai sun. To travel as cheaply as possible, the two friends take a crazy gamble. Without his knowledge, they register the dwarf of their neighborhood in the world championship of Thai Boxing of Dwarfs. What must have been a dream vacation for them will turn into a real nightmare.
An actor behind bars
Among the high-sounding names in the cast of Pattaya, an actor plays here his first feature film : Said Bogota. As the nasty Tong Po (a very unsubtle reference to the martial arts movie antagonist Kickboxer), the actor made a strong impression. To the point that Frank Gastambide summons him again for his next film Taxi 5 in which he plays the understudy of Anouar Toubali.
After this movie? Nothing. Indeed, on December 19, 2018, he was indicted for attempted murder, kidnapping and forcible confinement. Thus, 5 days earlier, he would have kidnapped a 17-year-old young man with the help of his accomplices. Wishing to take revenge on the latter, whom he suspects of being the cause of his break-up with his girlfriend at the time, Bogotá sequesters him and tortures him for several hours. The victim tried to escape, but was caught by his assailants who sprayed him with gasoline and tried to burn him alive.
Fortunately for the young man, he managed to remove his clothes to limit his injuries. And he took refuge with an occupant who alerted the gendarmes.
At the end of his trial on September 16, 2021, the actor of Pattaya was sentenced to 16 years in prison. A dirty business, which does not seem to have affected the actor more than that…
