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.

Cemetery of Splendour

4/28 Sat. 16:30 │ 4/29 Sun. 19:30

122 minutes

※In Thai with Chinese and English subtitles
※Suggested for ages 12+

Soldiers with a mysterious sleeping sickness are transferred to a temporary clinic set up in a former school. This memory-filled space becomes a revelatory world for housewife and volunteer Jenjira, also known as Jen, as she watches over Itt, a handsome soldier with no family visitors. Magic, healing, romance and dreams are all part of Jen’s path to a deeper awareness of herself…..
 

Cinema as the stuff dreams are made of.

─Slant Magazine

Inscrutable and strangely gratifying, and the experience of watching it is like dreaming with your eyes wide open.

─The Hollywood Reporter

Few filmmakers this side of David Lynch are as adept or intuitive as Apichatpong Weerasethakul when it comes to appropriating the language of dreams…
 

─Variety







 

Apichatpong Selected Short Films
 

4/28 Sat. 10:30 │ 4/29 Sun. 10:30

95 minutes

※In Thai with Chinese and English subtitles
※Suggested for ages 12+


Apichatpong is considered one of the most unique voices in contemporary cinema. His works break through the limitations of imagination, overlapping the present, memories and fantasy. He is both director and artist. Thus, in addition to feature-length movies, he has crossed over into video installations and short films. Apichatpong Short Films includes a number of specially selected short films.


Trailer for CinDi2011

This is the official trailer for the 2011 CinDi Film Festival. Intimate choreography blurs the boundaries between stage curtain and screen.

The Anthem    2006

In Thailand, the Royal Anthem is played before the feature presentation to honor the King. It is also considered a rite of blessing for the audience.
 

Footprints    2014

This is Apichatpong’s contribution to an omnibus production that explores the analogies between football and everyday life. This project was originally broadcast during the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Luminous People    2007
 
Luminous People involves the recreation of an event to commemorate the dead and the decaying memories of the living through filmmaking.

Sakda (Rousseau)    2012

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's writings inspired Apichatpong to reflect on the society in which he lives. This film focuses on a reincarnation of this philosopher who doesn't know if he will be able to hold onto his memories.


Worldly Desires    2005

A couple escapes their family to look for a spiritual tree in the jungle. There is a song at night, a song that speaks of an innocent idea of love and a quest for happiness.

A Letter to Uncle Boonmee    2009

In December of 2008, in Nabua, Apichatpong found several houses that he thought were suitable locations for Uncle Boonmee’s house in a proposed feature film. This short film is a personal letter to Uncle Boonmee describing his experience in Nabua.

 

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

Production／Kick the Machine Films