Can I say I’ve seen three films by Apichatpong Weerasethakul or just one?
Weerasethakul (or Joe) is the Palme D’Or winning director from Thailand for his film “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.” He’s one of a kind purely in the fact that he’s from Thailand. I’ll give you a dollar if you can name another.
But from reading reviews of his other films, most notably “Syndromes and a Century” and “Tropical Malady,” Joe has a penchant for the exotic landscape of his homeland, and he’s a pro at allowing his camera to patiently and quietly explore it.
Joe brought this love of his home to fruition in his “Uncle Boonmee” series, a collection of a feature film (“UBWCRHPL”), two short films and one magazine booklet of photographs.
I’ve now seen all four components, and although I had my reservations about his feature alone (I may have to see it again), as a collective whole, various themes of nature, poverty, humanity and reincarnation come to fruition. Continue reading “Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s “Uncle Boonmee” series”