The brainchild of people in the Thai film industry, FICS is a space dedicated to the art of cinematic storytelling in downtown Bangkok

An indie movie-lover’s mecca, the FICS café and poster shop was established in April of this year by director Nattawut Poonpiriya (Bad Genius, 2017) and actress Jularat Hanrungroj (You & Me XXX, 2017). Just off of Asok in Sukhumvit Soi 31, the building’s facade harks back to the golden days of cinema with its black marquee lettering on white and a working photobooth à la Amelie (2001). Step inside and you are greeted by displays of iconic scenes from famous movies, including Mr. Chow and Mrs. Su conversing in In the Mood for Love and the diner scene from Pulp Fiction.

FICS—full name Film-Inspired Café, Concept Store and Community Space—plans to open a bar on the first floor and a production house on the fourth floor, as well as host screenings on the rooftop. But for now there is just the FICS café on the second floor and the Poster District on the third.

The photo booth, a must when visiting FICS

The FICS café

From behind the concession stand-like counter in the café, barista Panuwitch Boorananu explains why each of the photogenic signature drinks on the menu is a faithful tribute to the film it is named after. Clockwork Orange (140 baht) has dark, gritty cocoa muddling the bottom of a glass of milk, elevated by playful orange sauce—a reflection of the contrary nature of the film. Lost in Translation (160 baht), like the film itself, is an unlikely melding of East and West with matcha, yuzu and me colliding with Sprite.

Even during the pandemic the café has seen a steady stream of Instagrammers posing with their drinks (house policy requires each visitor to buy a beverage) against the film-themed decor. An old TV set complete with VCR and a wall of VHS tapes provides those old enough to recall them with a hit of nostalgia. Perhaps an authentic movie poster is what you need to brighten up your quarantine space? At the Poster District pieces range in price based on rarity and the film’s cult status. A Japanese handbill of La La Land, for instance, can be had for 250 baht, while a poster for The Truman Show goes for 2,400 baht. Other wall-sized few-of-a-kinds have dedicated collectors splashing out much bigger sums.

Authentic movie posters and handbills adorn the walls

Ask Anathorn “Frame” Tanalekhaphat to help you find posters by film genre, language or country—he’s always ready with great film recommendations too. All posters sold here are authentic, no reprints, and every single piece has hung in a movie theatre somewhere and is, therefore, part of film history. The Poster District also features a different poster and film each month with a dedicated photoshoot corner.

“We’ve been pleasantly surprised by the footfall, particularly because we opened during the pandemic,” says manager Bussaraporn Kanwareerak. “There’ve been film aficionados ranging from university film students looking for information on seminal titles to foreigners coming in to ask what Thai films they should watch. Older collectors coming in to look for classic film posters are frequent too. Recently we had a young couple in and the girl was interested in American Psycho and blood-spattering slashers while her boyfriend was asking after About Time, the romantic English drama. We get all sorts but they all have a love of cinema in common.

FICS café is open every day from 7:30am to 5:30pm. The Poster District is closed on Mondays. Home delivery of both drinks and posters is available.

[This story first appeared in Koktail Magazine Issue 1.]