Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Encyclopedia
Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is a Thai
independent
film director
, screenwriter
, and film producer
. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady
, which won a jury prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
; Blissfully Yours
, which won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard
program at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
; and Syndromes and a Century
, which premiered at the 63rd Venice Film Festival
and was the first Thai film to be entered in competition there.
Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Weerasethakul has directed several features and dozens of short films. Themes reflected in his films (frequently discussed in interviews) include dreams, nature, sexuality (including his own homosexuality
), and Western
perceptions of Thailand
and Asia
, and his films display a preference for unconventional narrative structures (like placing titles/credits at the middle of a film) and for working with non-actors. Cinephile
s affectionately refer to him as "Joe" (a nickname that he, like many with similarly long Thai name
s, has adopted out of convenience).
, Thailand
. He attended Khon Kaen University
and received a bachelor's degree
in architecture
in 1994. He made his first short film, Bullet, in 1993. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and received a master's degree
in fine arts in filmmaking in 1997. He is of Chinese ethnic roots.
His feature-length debut, Dokfa nai meuman (Mysterious Object at Noon
) blends documentary footage and improvised narrative, and was conceptually based upon the exquisite corpse
game invented by surrealists.
He formed his own production company, Kick the Machine, in 1999, through which he produces and promotes his own works, and provides support to other independent filmmakers and experimental film works.
feature Sud Sanaeha (Blissfully Yours
) won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
. His 2004 Sud Pralad (Tropical Malady
) won a Jury Prize
from the same festival.
Between Blissfully Yours and Tropical Malady, Apichatpong co-directed The Adventure of Iron Pussy
with artist Michael Shaowanasai
, who starred as the main character, a transvestite
secret agent. The low-budget, digital movie was a spoof of Thai films of the 1960s and '70s, particularly the musicals and action films of Mitr Chaibancha
and Petchara Chaowarat
. It was screened at the Berlin Film Festival. Pop singer Krissada Terrence
, better known as Noi from Pru
, portrayed the male lead.
Along with his features, Apichatpong is known for his short films, videoworks and installations. For the Jeonju International Film Festival
he was commissioned in the Three Digital Short Films project, which he shared with two other Asian directors. His film was called Worldly Desires. Shinya Tsukamoto
from Japan made Haze and Song Il-gon
from South Korea created Magician(s).
In 2005, Apichatpong served as the consultant on the Tsunami Digital Short Films, 13 films commissioned by the Thailand Culture Ministry's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture as a memorial tribute to the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
and the resulting tsunami
that struck Thailand. His film was called Ghost of Asia.
The Office of Contemporary Art and Culture also honoured Apichatpong with its 2005 Silpathorn Award
for Filmmaking. The award, which goes each year to several artists in various disciplines, is given to living contemporary artists.
, which was commissioned by Peter Sellars
for the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna
to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart
's birth. It premiered at the 63rd Venice Film Festival
and screened at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
and many other festivals.
The film's Thai release, originally slated for April 19, 2007, was indefinitely delayed after Thai Censorship Board
demanded the removal of four scenes. Apichatpong refused to recut the film and said he would withdraw it from domestic circulation.
He explained his reasons for doing so in an article in the Bangkok Post
:
Two of the "sensitive" scenes involve doctors engaging in "inappropriate" conduct (kissing and drinking liquor) in a hospital; the others depict a Buddhist monk
playing a guitar and two monks playing with a remote-control flying saucer
. The censors refused to return the print unless the requested cuts were made.
Later in 2007, the film was shown twice in privately arranged screenings at the Alliance française
in Bangkok.
The censorship of the film came about as a motion picture ratings system was being considered by the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly
. A replacement for the 1930 film act, the ratings law contained a restrictive ratings structure and retained the government's powers to censor and ban films it deemed would "undermine or disrupt social order and moral decency, or that might impact national security or the pride of the nation". The ratings board would comprise mainly bureaucrats in the Ministry of Culture, as well as members of the Royal Thai Police
.
To oppose the draft law, Apichatpong and other directors formed the Free Thai Cinema Movement.
"We disagree with the right of the state to ban films," Apichatpong was quoted as saying. "There already are other laws that cover potential wrongdoings by filmmakers."
Ladda Tangsupachai, director of the Ministry of Culture's Cultural Surveillance Department, said the ratings law was needed because moviegoers in Thailand are "uneducated". "They're not intellectuals, that's why we need ratings," she was quoted as saying.
Ladda also said: "Nobody goes to see films by Apichatpong. Thai people want to see comedy. We like a laugh."
The filmmakers sought a self-regulation approach, with an independent body run by film professionals. "Free from state influence, this agency would be responsible for monitoring and assigning rating, and it would bear direct responsibilities towards the audience, who in turn would monitor the performance of the agency. This way, the film industry will be liberated from the state's shackles and begin to have a dialogue with the public," Apichatpong had written in a commentary earlier in the year.
Protests against the draft ratings law were held outside the Parliament building in Bangkok, with Apichatpong and fellow Thai directors Wisit Sasanatieng
and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
taking turns holding banners that read "No Freedom. No Democracy. No Peace"
The ratings law, with the cut-and-ban categories left intact, was passed on December 20, 2007.
This first English-language volume on Apichatpong Weerasethakul will be published March 2009. James Quandt, the editor and author of the analytical career overview which introduces the book, is one of the foremost film critics and curators working in North America today. Further contributors include the cultural and political theorist Benedict Anderson, filmmaker Mark Cousins, art curator Karen Newman, critics Tony Rayns and Kong Rithdee, and the Academy Award winning actress and cinephile Tilda Swinton.
The movie was ranked by Film Comment
magazine as #4 on "the best films of the decade: an international poll of critics, programmers, academics, filmmakers".
. It is to be a fantasy about a prehistoric man living in a jungle where there are periodic snowstorms. He presented his project at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Financing Forum and the Atelier section of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
.
In September 2009 Apichatpong's seven screen installation "Primitive' premiere's in the UK at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool, UK. The work was commissioned by Haus der Kunst, Munich with FACT, and Animate Projects and was produced by Illuminations Films, London with Kick the Machine, Bangkok. It was first shown at Haus der Kunst in February 2009.
His most recent film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
, won the Palme d'Or
at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
. It was also selected as the Thai entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
at the 83rd Academy Awards
but it didn't make the final shortlist.
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
independent
Independent film
An independent film, or indie film, is a professional film production resulting in a feature film that is produced mostly or completely outside of the major film studio system. In addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies, independent films are also produced...
film director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
, screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. His feature films include Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...
, winner of the prestigious 2010 Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or prize; Tropical Malady
Tropical Malady
Tropical Malady is a 2004 Thai romantic psychological drama film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It is a film in two segments – the first part a romance story about two homosexual men, and the second a mysterious tale about a soldier lost in the woods, bedeviled by the spirit of a shaman...
, which won a jury prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival
Cannes Film Festival
The Cannes International Film Festival , is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films of all genres including documentaries from around the world. Founded in 1946, it is among the world's most prestigious and publicized film festivals...
; Blissfully Yours
Blissfully Yours
Blissfully Yours is a 2002 Thai romance film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
, which won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard
Un Certain Regard is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's Official Selection. It is run at the Salle Debussy, parallel to the competition for the Palme d'Or.This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob...
program at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
; and Syndromes and a Century
Syndromes and a Century
Syndromes and a Century is a 2006 Thai drama film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film was among the works commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope festival in Vienna to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, which premiered at the 63rd Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and was the first Thai film to be entered in competition there.
Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Weerasethakul has directed several features and dozens of short films. Themes reflected in his films (frequently discussed in interviews) include dreams, nature, sexuality (including his own homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
), and Western
Western world
The Western world, also known as the West and the Occident , is a term referring to the countries of Western Europe , the countries of the Americas, as well all countries of Northern and Central Europe, Australia and New Zealand...
perceptions of Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, and his films display a preference for unconventional narrative structures (like placing titles/credits at the middle of a film) and for working with non-actors. Cinephile
Cinephile
Kenny Inglis and Susan Wallace are the duo behind Cinephile, a trip-hop band from Glasgow famous for the song "What Becomes of Us ?" which was played during an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation....
s affectionately refer to him as "Joe" (a nickname that he, like many with similarly long Thai name
Thai name
Thai names follow the North Indian and Western European pattern in which the family name follows a first or given name. In this they differ from the family-name-first pattern of the East Asian tradition....
s, has adopted out of convenience).
Early life
Apichatpong Weerasethakul was born in Bangkok, Thailand. His parents were both physicians, and worked in a hospital in Khon KaenKhon Kaen Province
-History:The first city of the area was established in 1783 when Rajakruluang settled there with 330 people. King Rama I made Rajakruluang the first governor of the area when establishing tighter connections with the Isan area. The main city was moved six times until in 1879 it reached its modern...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. He attended Khon Kaen University
Khon Kaen University
Khon Kaen University is an internationally-recognized university in Asia. It is located in the Isan region of Thailand. The university is a central hub of education in north-east Thailand.-History:...
and received a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
in 1994. He made his first short film, Bullet, in 1993. He attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in fine arts in filmmaking in 1997. He is of Chinese ethnic roots.
His feature-length debut, Dokfa nai meuman (Mysterious Object at Noon
Mysterious Object at Noon
Mysterious Object at Noon is a 2000 Thai independent experimental documentary film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.-Production:The film is unscripted and uses the exquisite corpse party game as a concept, with the film crew traveling across Thailand, interviewing people and asking each...
) blends documentary footage and improvised narrative, and was conceptually based upon the exquisite corpse
Exquisite corpse
Exquisite corpse, also known as exquisite cadaver or rotating corpse, is a method by which a collection of words or images is collectively assembled. Each collaborator adds to a composition in sequence, either by following a rule Exquisite corpse, also known as exquisite cadaver (from the original...
game invented by surrealists.
He formed his own production company, Kick the Machine, in 1999, through which he produces and promotes his own works, and provides support to other independent filmmakers and experimental film works.
Blissfully Yours, Tropical Malady
Apichatpong's 20022002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
feature Sud Sanaeha (Blissfully Yours
Blissfully Yours
Blissfully Yours is a 2002 Thai romance film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
) won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival
2002 Cannes Film Festival
The 2002 Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film The Pianist directed by Roman Polanski.-Jury:* David Lynch * Sharon Stone* Michelle Yeoh...
. His 2004 Sud Pralad (Tropical Malady
Tropical Malady
Tropical Malady is a 2004 Thai romantic psychological drama film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It is a film in two segments – the first part a romance story about two homosexual men, and the second a mysterious tale about a soldier lost in the woods, bedeviled by the spirit of a shaman...
) won a Jury Prize
Jury Prize (Cannes Film Festival)
The Jury Prize is an award presented at the Cannes Film Festival. It is chosen by the jury from the 'official section' of movies at the festival. It is considered the third most prestigious prize at the film festival, after the Palme d'Or and the Grand Prix....
from the same festival.
Between Blissfully Yours and Tropical Malady, Apichatpong co-directed The Adventure of Iron Pussy
The Adventure of Iron Pussy
The Adventure of Iron Pussy is a 2003 Thai musical-action-comedy film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Michael Shaowanasai and starring Shaowanasai as the main protagonist – a transvestite Thai secret agent whose alter ego is a gay male 7-Eleven clerk...
with artist Michael Shaowanasai
Michael Shaowanasai
Michael Shaowanasai, , is a Thai-American artist and actor who lives in Bangkok. His works includes performance art, photography, video, film and installations....
, who starred as the main character, a transvestite
Transvestism
Transvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
secret agent. The low-budget, digital movie was a spoof of Thai films of the 1960s and '70s, particularly the musicals and action films of Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha
Mitr Chaibancha was a Thai film actor who made 266 films from 1956 to 1970....
and Petchara Chaowarat
Petchara Chaowarat
Petchara Chaowarat is a Thai film actress who starred in around 300 films from 1961 to 1979. An icon of the "Golden Age" of Thai cinema, she was known for her round, pool-like eyes and elaborate hairstyles.Her first film and starring role was in Banthuk Rak Pimchawee , in 1961...
. It was screened at the Berlin Film Festival. Pop singer Krissada Terrence
Krissada Terrence
Krissada Terrence. is a Thai-American pop singer and actor. He is member of the Thai pop band Pru...
, better known as Noi from Pru
Pru (Thai band)
Pru is a Thai pop band that formed in 2001 in Bangkok. It was the winner of the favorite artist for Thailand at the 2002 MTV Asia Awards.-Members:* Krissada Sukosol Clapp - Vocals...
, portrayed the male lead.
Along with his features, Apichatpong is known for his short films, videoworks and installations. For the Jeonju International Film Festival
Jeonju International Film Festival
The Jeonju International Film Festival has been held annually since 2000 in Jeonju, South Korea, focusing on digital, independent and art films.-2000:*April 28-May 4: 184 films from 21 countries...
he was commissioned in the Three Digital Short Films project, which he shared with two other Asian directors. His film was called Worldly Desires. Shinya Tsukamoto
Shinya Tsukamoto
is a Japanese film director and actor with a considerable cult following both domestically and abroad.-Biography:Tsukamoto started making movies at the age of 14, when his father gave him a Super 8 camera. He made a number of films, ranging...
from Japan made Haze and Song Il-gon
Song Il-gon
Song Il-gon is a South Korean film director and screenwriter known for his international award-winning early short films, and later feature films such as Spider Forest and Feathers in the Wind...
from South Korea created Magician(s).
In 2005, Apichatpong served as the consultant on the Tsunami Digital Short Films, 13 films commissioned by the Thailand Culture Ministry's Office of Contemporary Art and Culture as a memorial tribute to the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake
The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was an undersea megathrust earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC on Sunday, December 26, 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. The quake itself is known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake...
and the resulting tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
that struck Thailand. His film was called Ghost of Asia.
The Office of Contemporary Art and Culture also honoured Apichatpong with its 2005 Silpathorn Award
Silpathorn Award
The Silpathorn Award, , is an honour for living Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand...
for Filmmaking. The award, which goes each year to several artists in various disciplines, is given to living contemporary artists.
Syndromes and censorship
In 2006, Apichatpong released a feature film, Syndromes and a CenturySyndromes and a Century
Syndromes and a Century is a 2006 Thai drama film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film was among the works commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope festival in Vienna to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
, which was commissioned by Peter Sellars
Peter Sellars
Peter Sellars is an American theatre director, noted for his unique contemporary stagings of classical and contemporary operas and plays...
for the New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
's birth. It premiered at the 63rd Venice Film Festival
Venice Film Festival
The Venice International Film Festival is the oldest international film festival in the world. Founded by Count Giuseppe Volpi in 1932 as the "Esposizione Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica", the festival has since taken place every year in late August or early September on the island of the...
and screened at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival
2006 Toronto International Film Festival
The 2006 Toronto International Film Festival ran from September 7 to September 16, 2006. Opening the festival was Zacharias Kunuk and Norman Cohn's The Journals of Knud Rasmussen, a film that "explores the history of the Inuit people through the eyes of a father and daughter."In a press release...
and many other festivals.
The film's Thai release, originally slated for April 19, 2007, was indefinitely delayed after Thai Censorship Board
Censorship in Thailand
Freedom of speech in Thailand was guaranteed in the articles 39, 40, 41 in the 1997 Constitution.According to those articles, censorship may be imposed to preserve national security, maintain public order, preserve the rights of others, protect public morals, and prevent criticism of the royal...
demanded the removal of four scenes. Apichatpong refused to recut the film and said he would withdraw it from domestic circulation.
He explained his reasons for doing so in an article in the Bangkok Post
Bangkok Post
The Bangkok Post is a broadsheet, English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. The first issue was sold on August 1, 1946. It had four pages and cost 1 baht, a considerable amount at the time....
:
Two of the "sensitive" scenes involve doctors engaging in "inappropriate" conduct (kissing and drinking liquor) in a hospital; the others depict a Buddhist monk
Bhikkhu
A Bhikkhu or Bhikṣu is an ordained male Buddhist monastic. A female monastic is called a Bhikkhuni Nepali: ). The life of Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis is governed by a set of rules called the patimokkha within the vinaya's framework of monastic discipline...
playing a guitar and two monks playing with a remote-control flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
. The censors refused to return the print unless the requested cuts were made.
Later in 2007, the film was shown twice in privately arranged screenings at the Alliance française
Alliance française
The Alliance française , or AF, is an international organisation that aims to promote French language and culture around the world. created in Paris on 21 July 1883, its primary concern is teaching French as a second language and is headquartered in Paris -History:The Alliance was created in Paris...
in Bangkok.
The censorship of the film came about as a motion picture ratings system was being considered by the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly
National Assembly of Thailand
The National Assembly of Thailand or the Parliament of Thailand is the legislative branch of the government of Thailand. The National Assembly of Thailand is a bicameral body, consisting of two chambers: the upper house, , and the lower house,...
. A replacement for the 1930 film act, the ratings law contained a restrictive ratings structure and retained the government's powers to censor and ban films it deemed would "undermine or disrupt social order and moral decency, or that might impact national security or the pride of the nation". The ratings board would comprise mainly bureaucrats in the Ministry of Culture, as well as members of the Royal Thai Police
Royal Thai Police
The Royal Thai Police are the national police of Thailand.-About:Primary responsibility for the maintenance of public order through enforcement of the kingdom's laws was exercised by the Thailand National Police Department , a subdivision of the Ministry of Interior...
.
To oppose the draft law, Apichatpong and other directors formed the Free Thai Cinema Movement.
"We disagree with the right of the state to ban films," Apichatpong was quoted as saying. "There already are other laws that cover potential wrongdoings by filmmakers."
Ladda Tangsupachai, director of the Ministry of Culture's Cultural Surveillance Department, said the ratings law was needed because moviegoers in Thailand are "uneducated". "They're not intellectuals, that's why we need ratings," she was quoted as saying.
Ladda also said: "Nobody goes to see films by Apichatpong. Thai people want to see comedy. We like a laugh."
The filmmakers sought a self-regulation approach, with an independent body run by film professionals. "Free from state influence, this agency would be responsible for monitoring and assigning rating, and it would bear direct responsibilities towards the audience, who in turn would monitor the performance of the agency. This way, the film industry will be liberated from the state's shackles and begin to have a dialogue with the public," Apichatpong had written in a commentary earlier in the year.
Protests against the draft ratings law were held outside the Parliament building in Bangkok, with Apichatpong and fellow Thai directors Wisit Sasanatieng
Wisit Sasanatieng
Wisit Sasanatieng is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent...
and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang
Pen-Ek Ratanaruang is a Thai film director and screenwriter. He is best known for his arthouse work, Last Life in the Universe, and is considered to be one of Thai cinema's leading "new wave" auteurs, alongside Wisit Sasanatieng and Apichatpong Weerasethakul...
taking turns holding banners that read "No Freedom. No Democracy. No Peace"
The ratings law, with the cut-and-ban categories left intact, was passed on December 20, 2007.
This first English-language volume on Apichatpong Weerasethakul will be published March 2009. James Quandt, the editor and author of the analytical career overview which introduces the book, is one of the foremost film critics and curators working in North America today. Further contributors include the cultural and political theorist Benedict Anderson, filmmaker Mark Cousins, art curator Karen Newman, critics Tony Rayns and Kong Rithdee, and the Academy Award winning actress and cinephile Tilda Swinton.
The movie was ranked by Film Comment
Film Comment
Film Comment is an arts and culture magazine published by the Film Society of Lincoln Center, of which it is the official publication. Film Comment features critical reviews and in-depth analysis of mainstream, art-house, and avant-garde filmmaking from around the world...
magazine as #4 on "the best films of the decade: an international poll of critics, programmers, academics, filmmakers".
Future works
Among the works in development is Utopia, a co-production with DViant Films of Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. It is to be a fantasy about a prehistoric man living in a jungle where there are periodic snowstorms. He presented his project at the 2006 Hong Kong Film Financing Forum and the Atelier section of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival
2006 Cannes Film Festival
The 2006 Cannes Film Festival ran from May 17, 2006 to May 28, 2006. Twenty films from eleven countries were in competition for the Palme d'Or. The President of the Official Jury was Wong Kar-wai, the first Chinese director to preside over the jury....
.
In September 2009 Apichatpong's seven screen installation "Primitive' premiere's in the UK at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology) in Liverpool, UK. The work was commissioned by Haus der Kunst, Munich with FACT, and Animate Projects and was produced by Illuminations Films, London with Kick the Machine, Bangkok. It was first shown at Haus der Kunst in February 2009.
His most recent film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...
, won the Palme d'Or
Palme d'Or
The Palme d'Or is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival and is presented to the director of the best feature film of the official competition. It was introduced in 1955 by the organising committee. From 1939 to 1954, the highest prize was the Grand Prix du Festival International du...
at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival
2010 Cannes Film Festival
The 63rd annual Cannes Film Festival was held from May 12 to May 23, 2010, in Cannes, France. The Cannes Film Festival, hailed as being one of the most recognized and prestigious film festivals worldwide, was founded in 1946. It consists of having films screened in and out of competition during the...
. It was also selected as the Thai entry for the Best Foreign Language Film
Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film
The Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film is one of the Academy Awards of Merit, popularly known as the Oscars, handed out annually by the U.S.-based Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences...
at the 83rd Academy Awards
83rd Academy Awards
The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ...
but it didn't make the final shortlist.
Feature films
- Mysterious Object at NoonMysterious Object at NoonMysterious Object at Noon is a 2000 Thai independent experimental documentary film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul.-Production:The film is unscripted and uses the exquisite corpse party game as a concept, with the film crew traveling across Thailand, interviewing people and asking each...
(Dokfa nai meuman), (20002000 in filmThe year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
) - Blissfully YoursBlissfully YoursBlissfully Yours is a 2002 Thai romance film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Un Certain Regard prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(Sud sanaeha) (20022002 in filmThe year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
) - The Adventure of Iron PussyThe Adventure of Iron PussyThe Adventure of Iron Pussy is a 2003 Thai musical-action-comedy film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Michael Shaowanasai and starring Shaowanasai as the main protagonist – a transvestite Thai secret agent whose alter ego is a gay male 7-Eleven clerk...
(Hua jai tor ra nong), co-director (20032003 in filmThe year 2003 in film involved some significant events. Releases of sequels took place with movies like The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, 2 Fast 2 Furious, Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle, The Matrix Reloaded, The Matrix Revolutions, Pokémon Heroes, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines,...
) - Tropical MaladyTropical MaladyTropical Malady is a 2004 Thai romantic psychological drama film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It is a film in two segments – the first part a romance story about two homosexual men, and the second a mysterious tale about a soldier lost in the woods, bedeviled by the spirit of a shaman...
(Sud pralad) (20042004 in filmThe year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
) - Syndromes and a CenturySyndromes and a CenturySyndromes and a Century is a 2006 Thai drama film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film was among the works commissioned for Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope festival in Vienna to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...
(Sang sattawat) (20062006 in film- Highest-grossing films :Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top-grossing films that were first released in the United States in 2006...
) - Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past LivesUncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past LivesUncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a 2010 Thai film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the Palme d'Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:The film centers on the last days in the life of its title character...
(2010) - Utopia (in development)
Short films and installations
- Bullet (1993)
- 0116643225059 (1994)
- Kitchen and Bedroom (1994)
- Like the Relentless Fury of the Pounding Waves (1996)
- Rice Artist Michael ShaowanasaiMichael ShaowanasaiMichael Shaowanasai, , is a Thai-American artist and actor who lives in Bangkok. His works includes performance art, photography, video, film and installations....
's Performance (1996) - 100 Years of Thai Cinema (for Thai Film Foundation, 1997)
- thirdworld (1998)
- The Lungara Eating Jell-O (for World Artists for Tibet, 1998)
- Windows (1999)
- Malee and the Boy (1999)
- Boys at Noon (2000)
- Boys at Noon / Girls at Night (2000)
- Haunted Houses Project: Thailand (for Istanbul BiennialIstanbul BiennialThe International Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition, held every two years in Istanbul, Turkey, since 1987. The biennial is organised by the İstanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts. The Biennial aims to create a meeting point in İstanbul in the field of visual arts between artists...
, 2001) - Secret Love Affair (for Tirana) (2001)
- Narratives: Masumi Is a PC Operator / Fumiyo Is a Designer / I Was Sketching / Swan's Blood (for Intercross Creative Center, 2001)
- Second Love in Hong Kong, co-director (2002)
- Golden Ship (for Memlingmuseum, 2002)
- This and Million More Lights (for 46664, 2003)
- GRAF: Tong / Love Song / Tone (2004)
- It Is Possible That Only Your Heart Is Not Enough to Find You a True Love: True Love in Green / True Love in White (for Busan Biennial, 2004)
- Worldly Desires (for Jeonju International Film FestivalJeonju International Film FestivalThe Jeonju International Film Festival has been held annually since 2000 in Jeonju, South Korea, focusing on digital, independent and art films.-2000:*April 28-May 4: 184 films from 21 countries...
, 2004) - Ghost of Asia, co-director (for Tsunami Digital Short Films project, 2005)
- Waterfall (for Solar Cinematic Art Gallery/Curtas Vila do Conde International Film Festival, 2006)
- Faith (for FACT/Liverpool BiennialLiverpool BiennialLiverpool Biennial is a British international festival of contemporary art held in Liverpool. The festival comprises the International Exhibition, the John Moores Painting Prize, the Bloomberg New Contemporaries Exhibition and the Independents Biennial....
, 2006) - The Anthem (for LUXLUXLUX is the principal centre for the promotion and distribution of experimental film and video works in the UK.It has one of the largest collections of experimental film and video art and houses works of over 1000 artists...
/Frieze Art FairFrieze Art FairFrieze Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair that takes place every October in London's Regent's Park. The fair is staged by Amanda Sharp and Matthew Slotover, the publishers of frieze magazine...
, 2006) - Unknown Forces (for REDCATREDCATOpened November 2003, REDCAT is a contemporary arts center that is an extension of CalArts campus, and serves as the professional presenting arm of the Institute...
, 2007) - Luminous People (in The State of the World, 2007)
- Because (2007)
- My Mother's Garden (for Christian DiorChristian DiorChristian Dior , was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, also called Christian Dior.-Life:...
, 2007) - Meteorites (for Short Films for the King Bhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol AdulyadejBhumibol Adulyadej is the current King of Thailand. He is known as Rama IX...
's 80th Birthday, 2007) - The Palace (for National Palace MuseumNational Palace MuseumThe National Palace Museum is an art museum in Taipei. It is the national museum of the Republic of China, and has a permanent collection of over 677,687 pieces of ancient Chinese artifacts and artworks, making it one of the largest in the world. The collection encompasses over 8,000 years of...
, 2007) - Emerald (2007)
- Vampire (for Louis VuittonLouis VuittonLouis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
, 2008) - Phantoms of Nabua (for Toronto International Film FestivalToronto International Film FestivalThe Toronto International Film Festival is a publicly-attended film festival held each September in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In 2010, 339 films from 59 countries were screened at 32 screens in downtown Toronto venues...
, 2009)
Further reading
- Chaiworaporn, Anchalee (April 2006). "A Perceiver of Sense." 11th Hong Kong Independent Short Film & Video Awards.
- Lim, Li Min (November 2, 2006). A Thai director's elliptical view of the world, International Herald Tribune
- Pansittivorakul,Thunska (May 19, 2006). "A Conversation with Apichatpong Weerasethakul".
- Quandt, James (ed.) Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Wallflower Press (August, 2009).
Contributions
- 2008 Life on Mars, the 2008 Carnegie International
External links
- Kick the Machine
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Austrian Film Museum
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul - Video Interview Cargo Film Magazine
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul - James Quandt (ed.)
- “Blissfully Whose? Jungle Pleasures, Ultra-modernist Cinema and the Cosmopolitan Thai Auteur” by May Adadol Ingawanij and Richard Lowell MacDonald from Ambiguous Allure of the West: Traces of the Colonial in Thailand - Rachel V. Harrison & Peter A. Jackson (ed.)
- http://www.parachute.ca/para_para/22/para22_Maufras.html one of Weerasethakul's early works by art critic and curator Frederic Maufras on the Canadian art magazine Parachute's website
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul: Overview at Thought Catalog
- Literature on Apichatpong Weerasethakul