DEEP DIVE: Apichatpong Weerasethakul's Romantic Spiritualism

This one's for the slow cinema girlies, the dolls who appreciate moody, atmospheric films of the metaphysical sort. Don't worry, we're not staring at a wall for 10 minutes straight contemplating life a la Tsai Ming-liang but we aren't in a rush for the next story beat either. Conventional narrative form? I don't know her!

I'm so excited to curate and dive into one of world cinema's greats, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, who we will refer to as Joe, a nickname he's embraced from friends and fans. I'm excited not only because Joe's a fellow South East Asian and a queer artist, but also because his films are truly unique even within the realm of world cinema. I wanted to look at the main themes within his works, which involves merging the metaphysical spiritualism with a story about people whose love is unrequited. So if you're interested in diving into Thai cinema and completely new perspectives, join the discussion!

Films for Discussion:
Blissfully Yours (2002)
Synopsis: The story of a love affair that begins during a picnic on the Thai-Burmese border.
Stream: Internet Archives
Winner of Un Certain Regard at 2002 Cannes Film Festival

Tropical Malady (2004)
Synopsis: A romance between a soldier and a country boy, wrapped around a Thai folk-tale involving a shaman with shape-shifting abilities.
Stream: Kanopy
Winner of Jury Prize at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)
Synopsis: Dying of kidney disease, a man spends his last, somber days with family, including the ghost of his wife and a forest spirit who used to be his son, on a rural northern Thailand farm.
Stream: Amazon, YouTube, Google+
Winner of Palm D'or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival

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Now I'm doing something a bit different this time just to try things out. It'll be on a Tuesday AND it'll be at an unreserved space AND it'll only be 3 movies because to be frank, you'd have to be in the mood for Joe's films. I want all the attendees to have enough time to savor every single drop of awesomeness that he's got to offer. Who knows there might be a part 2!

Please watch all the films! If you can only watch like 2, you're still welcome to the discussion. If you have trouble finding the films, PLEASE contact me and I'll get you together. Let's get watching!

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Resources to check-out!
Apichatpong Weerasethakul's profile on They Shoot Pictures, Don't They

"Where to Begin" with Apichatpong Weerasethakul from BFI

Blissfully Yours Q&A from Lincoln Film Center

Tropical Malady Discussion

Uncle Boonmee Discussion with Asia Society

Pillow shots of Apichatpong Weerasethakul by Just another Guy with a Camera