Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s zombie thriller film, ‘Ziam,’ follows the devastating events that happen over the course of one day and completely rewrite the fate of its protagonists as well as the world they live in. The focus is on a former Muay-Thai boxer named Singh, who is trying to make ends meet in a world where global warming and the subsequent food shortage have turned the world into an increasingly inhabitable place. Things get worse when he discovers that a violent outbreak has happened at Prachamit Hospital, where his wife works. As he enters the hospital while it is being closed off by the authorities, he spends the next hour and a half trying to find his wife and get her out of there. Thus, the hospital becomes an important plot device in the film. SPOILERS AHEAD.
The Fictional Prachamit Hospital Becomes the Epicentre of the Story
Prachamit Hospital is an entirely fictional location in ‘Ziam.’ There is no hospital with that name in Bangkok, Thailand. However, “Prachamit” translates to “friend of the people,” which is an apt name for a hospital that is created to cater to the needs of the people and put them first above everything else. We see this happen as the staff of the hospital risks their own lives to save the patients and other people as a terrifying zombie virus spreads through the building, claiming the lives of the people. Because almost the entirety of the film unfolds inside the hospital, getting the location right was an important part of the process.
The creators of the film decided to use elaborately constructed sets that would represent the real structure and functioning of a hospital, but at the same time, give the cast and crew the freedom and space to film the scenes as efficiently as possible. Since there are a lot of fight scenes, and the characters often find themselves in tight spots that they desperately need to slip out of, the sets were constructed to complement the plot of the film. With Bangkok being a major filming location for local and international ventures, the creators of ‘Ziam’ didn’t have to venture far to get the sets that would perfectly fit the necessities of the film.
The choice to set the story in a hospital was rather logical, as it would make sense that in the case of medical emergencies, people are rushed to the hospitals, with the first responders and the medical community being the first ones to face the brunt of any outbreak before it reaches the masses. With this, Singh’s wife, Rin, who is a nurse at the hospital, becomes a key character, not only because she needs to be rescued by her husband, but also because she refuses to give up on herself and the people around her, no matter how bad things get.
The hospital’s setting also sets the ground for several heartbreaking scenes, while also raising some moral and ethical issues in the manner in which the authorities handle the situation. All in all, Prachamit Hospital becomes a character unto itself as its layers are unveiled over the course of the film. It presents its own complexities, often cornering the characters in situations that seem impossible to get out of, while also opening the doors to their freedom and safety, no matter how doomed things might seem.
