Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Fever Room

Fever Room is a journey in search of the light.

─Kunstenfestivaldesarts, Brussels

 

Cette performance d’une folle intensité excède les frontières du cinéma pour nous immerger dans l’univers onirique et sensuel du cineaste.

─Festival d'automne à Paris

 

The projection-performance offers a new experience that transcends the frameworks of cinema and theatre, where the people take refuge in dreams.

─TPAM – Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama

Apichatpong Weerasethakul, one of the most innovative, mesmerizing figures in cinema today, makes his first incursion into the world of theater with Fever Room, featuring Jenjira (Jen) and Banlop (Itt), who also appear in his latest film, Cemetery of Splendour. This projection-performance depicts a land on the brink of collapse, echoing Thailand’s present state of military dictatorship.

Jen undergoes surgeries to balance the lengths of her legs. While in the hospital, she dreams. There, she is joined by Itt, who is sleeping somewhere else. She recounts her favorite places, while he tells her about where he’s from, a land devoid of light.

In Fever Room, personal and regional histories are documented and the hospital is a transitional place of consciousness. Caves are explored for re-habitation, and the Mekong River is observed by a group of young men on land and in boats. Then, the last evening comes to a close.


 

Fever Room Apichatpong Weerasethakul Film Series

Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has directed numerous features and dozens of short films. Themes reflected in his films include dreams, nature, sexuality, and Western perceptions of Thailand and Asia. Moreover, his films display his preference for unconventional narrative structures. Selected feature and short films by this director are presented in the Apichatpong Weerasethakul Film Series. [MORE]

Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Director

Apichatpong Weerasethakul was born in Bangkok and grew up in Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand. He began making films and video shorts in 1994, and completed his first feature film in 2000. He has also organized exhibitions and installations in many countries since 1998. Often non-linear, with a strong sense of dislocation, his works deal with memory, subtly addressed personal politics and social issues.

His art projects and feature films have brought him widespread recognition and numerous prizes, including from the Cannes Film Festival. His 2009 feature film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives received the Palme d’Or prize at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival in 2010, the first Southeast Asian film to receive this honor. He was the Principal Laureate of the 2016 Prince Claus Awards, the Netherlands. In 2017, the French Minister of Culture bestowed on him the title of Commander in France’s Order of Arts and Letters.

Director & Editor／Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Cinematographer／Chatchai Suban

Cast／Jenjira Pongpas, Banlop Lomnoi

Production／Kick the Machine Films, Thailand & Asian Arts Theatre, South Korea