Black Silk(1961), a crime drama sometimes labeled Thailand′s first film noir, is arguably his best work. In contrast to his previous two films, Pestonji here takes on much more serious subject matters, most significantly Prae′s retreat into devout Buddhism. Taking on a life of abstinence and having her head shaved, Prae′s attempt to cleanse herself spiritually has tragic repercussions for Tom as she is unwilling to cover up the details she knows about the murders of Wan and Sin. Significantly though, her religious conviction gives Prae the strength to put her own well-being before that of others for the first time. After using a fairly full crew on Dark Heaven, for Black Silk, Pestonji returned to his do-it-yourself aesthetic. In fact he took his home-made approach to even greater lengths than before: he performed almost all the major tasks himself, acting as writer, producer, director, cinematographer and editor. Black Silk remains an important landmark in Thai cinema. (Chalida Uabumrungjit)