Apichatpong Weerasethakul ( th, อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล; ; ) is a Thai

independent film An independent film, independent movie, indie film, or indie movie is a feature film or short film that is produced outside the major film studio system, in addition to being produced and distributed by independent entertainment companies (or, i ...

director, screenwriter, and film producer. Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Apichatpong has directed several features and dozens of short films. Friends and fans sometimes refer to him as "Joe" (a nickname that he, like many with similarly long

Thai name Thai names follow the Western European pattern of a given name followed by a family name. This differs from the family-name-first patterns of Cambodian, Vietnamese, and other East Asian countries. Thai names (given and family) are diverse and ...

s, has adopted out of convenience). His feature films include ''

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives ''Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'' ( th, ลุงบุญมีระลึกชาติ; ) is a 2010 Thai drama film written, produced, and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film, which explores themes of reincarnation, ...

'', winner of the

2010 Cannes Film Festival The 63rd Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 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 scr ...

Palme d'Or The Palme d'Or (; en, Golden Palm) is the highest prize awarded at the Cannes Film Festival. It was introduced in 1955 by the festival's organizing committee. Previously, from 1939 to 1954, the festival's highest prize was the Grand Prix du Fe ...

prize; ''

Tropical Malady ''Tropical Malady'' (สัตว์ประหลาด RTGS: ''Satpralat''; lit. "monster") is a 2004 Thai romantic psychological drama art film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The film has a bifurcated structure; it is s ...

'', which won a

jury prize A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England durin ...

at the 2004

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Festival (; french: link=no, Festival de Cannes), until 2003 called the International Film Festival (') and known in English as the Cannes Film Festival, is an annual film festival held in Cannes, France, which previews new films o ...

; ''

Blissfully Yours ''Blissfully Yours'' ( th, สุดเสน่หา, S̄ud s̄aǹeh̄ā) is a 2002 Thai romance film directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It won the prize at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. Plot Min is an illegal Burmese immigrant living in ...

'', which won the top prize in the

Un Certain Regard (, meaning 'a certain glance') is a section of the Cannes Film Festival's official selection. It is run at the Debussy, parallel to the competition for the . This section was introduced in 1978 by Gilles Jacob. The section presents 20 films w ...

program at the

2002 Cannes Film Festival The 55th Cannes Film Festival started on 15 May and ran until 26 May 2002. The Palme d'Or went to the Polish-French-German-British co-produced film '' The Pianist'' directed by Roman Polanski. The festival opened with ''Hollywood Ending'', directe ...

; '' Syndromes and a Century'', which premiered at the 63rd

Venice Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival ( it, Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica della Biennale di Venezia, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival he ...

and was the first Thai film to be entered in competition there; and ''

Cemetery of Splendour ''Cemetery of Splendour'' ( th, Rak Ti Khon Kaen) is a 2015 Thai drama film written, produced, and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. The plot revolves around a spreading epidemic of sleeping sickness where spirits appear to the stricken and ...

'', which premiered in the

section of the

2015 Cannes Film Festival The 68th Cannes Film Festival was held from 13 to 24 May 2015. Joel and Ethan Coen were the Presidents of the Jury for the main competition. It was the first time that two people chaired the jury. Since the Coen brothers each received a separate ...

to critical acclaim. Apichatpong has received numerous additional accolades, including the 2016 Principal Prince Claus Award and the eighth edition of the Artes Mundi Prize. His first English-language film was ''

Memoria Memoria was the term for aspects involving memory in Western classical rhetoric. The word is Latin, and can be translated as "memory". It was one of five canons in classical rhetoric (the others being inventio, dispositio, elocutio, and pronunt ...

'', a 2021 international collaboration set in Colombia. Themes reflected in his films include dreams, nature, sexuality (including his own

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

), and

Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

perceptions of Thailand and Asia, and his films display a preference for unconventional narrative structures and for working with non-actors. Apichatpong has also widely exhibited in galleries, including FACT in Liverpool, and the

BFI Gallery The BFI Gallery was the BFI's contemporary art gallery dedicated to artists' moving image housed within BFI Southbank, the British Film Institute's flagship venue in London (previously known as the National Film Theatre). The space was funded by th ...

in London, the contemporary art space within

BFI Southbank BFI Southbank (from 1951 to 2007, known as the National Film Theatre) is the leading repertory cinema in the UK, specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films. It is operated by the British Film Institute. His ...

Early life and education

Apichatpong was born in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...

, Thailand to a

Thai Chinese Thai Chinese (also known as Chinese Thais, Sino-Thais), Thais of Chinese origin ( th, ชาวไทยเชื้อสายจีน; ''exonym and also domestically''), endonym Thai people ( th, ชาวไทย), are Chinese descenda ...

family. Both his parents had been physicians who worked in a hospital in

Khon Kaen Khon Kaen ( th, ขอนแก่น, ) is one of the four major cities of Isan, Thailand, also known as the "big four of Isan", the others being Udon Thani, Nakhon Ratchasima, and Ubon Ratchathani. It is the capital of Khon Kaen province and ...

, while his grandparents came from Canton. However Apichatpong never learned to speak Chinese as his father died when he was young. Apichatpong grew up in a traditional

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

family, exposed to rituals that incorporate

animism Animism (from Latin: ' meaning 'breath, Soul, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct Spirituality, spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things—Animal, animals, Plant, plants, Ro ...

and

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

, spiritual practices retained in the

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

tones of his works today. Among the filmmaker's early influences are the

Dada movement Dada () or Dadaism was an art movement of the European avant-garde in the early 20th century, with early centres in Zürich, Switzerland, at the Cabaret Voltaire (Zurich), Cabaret Voltaire (in 1916). New York Dada began c. 1915, and after 192 ...

and

Joseph Cornell Joseph Cornell (December 24, 1903 – December 29, 1972) was an American visual artist and film-maker, one of the pioneers and most celebrated exponents of Assemblage (art), assemblage. Influenced by the Surrealists, he was also an avant-garde e ...

's "boxes". Apichatpong attended

Khon Kaen University Khon Kaen University ( th, มหาวิทยาลัยขอนแก่น) or KKU (มข.) is a public research university, and it is one of the most prestigious universities in Thailand. The university was the first institution of highe ...

and received a

bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

in 1994. He made his first short film, ''Bullet'', in 1993. He attended the

School of the Art Institute of Chicago The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) is a private art school associated with the Art Institute of Chicago (AIC) in Chicago, Illinois. Tracing its history to an art students' cooperative founded in 1866, which grew into the museum and ...

and received a

Master of Fine Arts A Master of Fine Arts (MFA or M.F.A.) is a terminal degree in fine arts, including visual arts, creative writing, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, dance, theatre, other performing arts and in some cases, theatre management or arts admini ...

in filmmaking in 1997.

Career

Apichatpong's feature-length debut, ''Dokfa nai meuman'' ('' Mysterious Object at Noon'') is a documentary and was conceptually based upon the "

exquisite corpse Exquisite corpse (from the original French term ', literally exquisite cadaver), 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 (e.g. ...

" game invented by

surrealists Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

. He co-founded the production company, Kick the Machine, in 1999, and uses the company as a vehicle for his own works, alongside Thai experimental films and video. The list of other founders includes Gridthiya Gaweewong and Suaraya Weerasethakul and the company co-organised the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival in 1999, 2001, 2005 and 2008.

''Blissfully Yours'', ''Tropical Malady''

Apichatpong's

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

film ''Sud Sanaeha'' (''

'') was his debut narrative feature film and was awarded the Un Certain Regard prize at the

, though it was censored in his native Thailand. His 2004 ''Sud Pralad'' (''

'') won a

Jury Prize A jury is a sworn body of people (jurors) convened to hear evidence and render an impartial verdict (a finding of fact on a question) officially submitted to them by a court, or to set a penalty or judgment. Juries developed in England durin ...

from the same festival. Between ''Blissfully Yours'' and ''Tropical Malady'', Apichatpong co-directed ''

The Adventure of Iron Pussy ''The Adventure of Iron Pussy'' ( th, หัวใจทรนง, translit=Hua jai tor ra nong) is a 2003 Thai musical-action comedy film written and directed by Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Michael Shaowanasai and starring Shaowanasai. The pr ...

'' with artist

Michael Shaowanasai Michael Shaowanasai ( th, ไมเคิล เชาวนาศัย) (born 1964) is a Thai-American artist and actor who lives in Bangkok, Thailand. His works includes performance art, photography, video, film and installations. Openly gay ...

, who starred as the main character, a

transvestite Transvestism is the practice of dressing in a manner traditionally associated with the opposite sex. In some cultures, transvestism is practiced for religious, traditional, or ceremonial reasons. The term is considered outdated in Western c ...

secret agent, while pop singer

Krissada Terrence Krissada Sukosol Clapp (also known as Krissada Terrence, Noi S. Clapp or Noi Pru; born December 26, 1970) is a Thai pop singer, actor and a member of the Thai pop band Pru. His film roles include '' Bangkok Loco'', '' The Adventure of Iron Pussy ...

, better known as Noi from the Thai band Pru, portrayed the male lead. The low-budget, digital movie was a spoof of Thai films of the 1960s and 1970s, particularly the musicals and action films of

Mitr Chaibancha Mitr Chaibancha ( Thai มิตร ชัยบัญชาpronunciation, 28 January 1934 in Phetchaburi, Thailand - 8 October 1970) was a Thai film actor who acted 266 films from 1956 to 1970. He died on 8 October 1970 at Dongtan Beach, Jomt ...

and

Petchara Chaowarat Petchara Chaowarat (Thai: เพชรา เชาวราษฎร์; born 19 January 1943 in Rayong Province, Thailand) is a Thai actress who starred in around 300 films from 1961 to 1979. An icon of the "Golden Age" of Thai cinema, she was k ...

. ''The Adventure of Iron Pussy'' was screened at the

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

in 2004. When asked about the film in May 2013, Apichatpong said: "I have had enough of Iron Pussy for now. I was having a good time making it but I was not inspired." Along with his features, Apichatpong is also known for his short films, videoworks and installations. For the 2005

Jeonju International Film Festival Jeonju International Film Festival (JIFF, Korean: 전주국제영화제, Hanja: 全州國際映畵祭) is an Asian film festival. It was launched in 2000 as a non-competitive film festival with partial competition. It introduces independent a ...

, he was commissioned to contribute to the ''Three Digital Short Films'' project, alongside two other Asian directors. His film was called ''Worldly Desires'', while Japanese filmmaker

Shinya Tsukamoto is a Japanese people, Japanese filmmaker, film producer, screenwriter, Film editing, editor, Film director, director, cinematographer, art director, production designer and actor. With a considerable cult following both domestically and abroad ...

made ''Vital, Bullet Ballet'' and

Song Il-gon Song Il-gon (born January 1, 1971) is a South Korean film director and screenwriter known for his internationally award-winning early short films, and later feature films such as '' Spider Forest'' ( 2004) and '' Feathers in the Wind'' ( 2005). ...

from South Korea created ''Magician(s)''. In 2005 Apichatpong served as the consultant on the ''Tsunami Digital Short Films'', a series of 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 An earthquake and a tsunami, known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community, the Sumatra–Andaman earthquake, occurred at 07:58:53 local time (UTC+7) on 26 December 2004, with an epicentre off the west coast of northern Suma ...

and the resulting

tsunami A tsunami ( ; from ja, 津波, lit=harbour wave, ) is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and other underwater explo ...

that struck Thailand. His contribution was the film ''Ghost of Asia''. The Thai Office of Contemporary Art and Culture also honoured Apichatpong with its 2005

Silpathorn Award The Silpathorn Award, th, รางวัลศิลปาธร, is an honour for living Thailand, Thai contemporary artists presented annually by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand. The awards were estab ...

for filmmaking. The annual award is given to living contemporary artists in various disciplines.

''Syndromes'' and censorship

In 2006, Apichatpong released a feature film, '' Syndromes and a Century'', that was commissioned by

Peter Sellars Peter Sellars (born September 27, 1957) is an American theatre director, noted for his unique contemporary stagings of classical and contemporary operas and plays. Sellars is professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where ...

for the New Crowned Hope Festival in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

to celebrate the 250th anniversary of

Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 17565 December 1791), baptised as Joannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his ra ...

's birth. It premiered at the 63rd

and screened at numerous film events, such as the

2006 Toronto International Film Festival The 31st 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 through the eyes of a ...

. The film's Thai release, originally slated for 19 April 2007, was indefinitely delayed after the Thai Censorship Board demanded the removal of four scenes. Apichatpong refused to recut the film and said he would withdraw the film from domestic circulation. He explained his reasons for doing so in an article in the ''

Bangkok Post The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...

'': 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 A flying saucer (also referred to as "a flying disc") is a descriptive term for a type of flying craft having a disc or saucer-shaped body, commonly used generically to refer to an anomalous flying object. The term was coined in 1947 but has g ...

. The censors refused to return the print unless the requested cuts were made.Weerasethakul, Apichatpong. 14 September 2007
Who can save my flying saucer?
''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''; retrieved 15 September 2007 In 2007 the film was shown twice in privately arranged screenings at the

Alliance française An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

in Bangkok. The censorship of the film came about as a motion picture ratings system was being considered by the

junta Junta may refer to: Government and military * Junta (governing body) (from Spanish), the name of various historical and current governments and governing institutions, including civil ones ** Military junta, one form of junta, government led by ...

-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 The Royal Thai Police (RTP) ( th, สำนักงานตำรวจแห่งชาติ; ) is the national police force of Thailand. The RTP employs between 210,700 and 230,000 officers, roughly 17 percent of all civil servants (excludi ...

.Rithdee, Kong. 20 December 2007
Thailand passes controversial film act
''Variety (magazine)''; retrieved 23 January 2008 To oppose the draft law, Apichatpong and other directors formed the Free Thai Cinema Movement. Apichatpong was quoted as saying: "We disagree with the right of the state to ban films ... There already are other laws that cover potential wrongdoings by filmmakers."Rithdee, Kong. 28 November 2007

''Variety (magazine)''; retrieved 23 January 2008 Ladda Tangsupachai, director of the Ministry of Culture's Cultural Surveillance Department, said the ratings law was needed because moviegoers in Thailand are "uneducated". She further explained, "They're not intellectuals, that's why we need ratings ... Nobody goes to see films by Apichatpong. Thai people want to see comedy. We like a laugh."Montlake, Simon. 11 October 2007

''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

''; retrieved 23 January 2008 The filmmakers sought a self-regulation approach, with the founding of an independent body run by film professionals. Apichatpong had written in a commentary earlier in the year:

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.

A protest against the draft ratings law was held outside the Parliament building in Bangkok, at which Apichatpong and fellow Thai directors

Wisit Sasanatieng Wisit Sasanatieng ( th, วิศิษฏ์ ศาสนเที่ยง; ; born June 28, 1963) is a Thai film director and screenwriter of Chinese descent. Best known for his colourful debut feature film, ''Tears of the Black Tiger'', he is ...

and Pen-Ek Ratanaruang held banners that read: "No Freedom. No Democracy. No Peace" The ratings law, with the "cut-and-ban" categories left intact, was passed on 20 December 2007.

"Tomyam Pladib"

Apichatpong presented the "Apichatpong On Video Works" session as part of the "Tomyam Pladib" art exhibition that featured both Thai and Japanese artists who produced works regarding the coexistence of traditional and modern cultures. The filmmaker's presentation consisted of three short films: ''Ghost Of Asia'', ''0116643225059'' and ''The Anthem''. Apichatpong also answered questions from the audience to conclude the presentation. The first English-language book on Apichatpong was published in March 2009. James Quandt is the editor and author of the analytical career overview that introduces the book. Other contributors include the cultural and political theorist Benedict Anderson, filmmaker Mark Cousins, art curator Karen Newman, critics

Tony Rayns Antony Rayns (born 1948) is a British writer, commentator, film festival programmer and screenwriter. He wrote for the underground publication ''Cinema Rising'' (its name inspired by Kenneth Anger's '' Scorpio Rising'') before contributing to ...

and Kong Rithdee, and actress

Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition to ...

"Primitive", ''Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'' and ''Memoria''

"Primitive", Apichatpong's first solo exhibition—composed of a two-channel video installation, seven single-channel videos, and two giclée prints—was first shown at Haus der Kunst in February 2009. In September 2009, the exhibition was shown in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

, United Kingdom (UK) at FACT (Foundation for Art and Creative Technology). The work was commissioned by Haus der Kunst, of

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...

, Germany, with FACT and Animate Projects, and was produced by Illuminations Films, London and Kick the Machine. Curator Karen Newman wrote in the introduction for the exhibition: "His works are also vehicles that take us between different worlds, asking questions about the future and revealing a much bigger story than at first appears." Primitive was shot in the border town, Nabua, where the Mekong River divides Thailand and

Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...

. In 2011 the

New Museum The New Museum of Contemporary Art, founded in 1977 by Marcia Tucker, is a museum in New York City at 235 Bowery, on Manhattan's Lower East Side. History The museum originally opened in a space in the Graduate Center of the then-named New Sc ...

presented the American debut of ''Primitive'' In 2010 Apichatpong's feature film, ''Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives'', won the

at the Cannes Film Festival. The film was also selected as the Thai entry for the

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

at the

83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, organized by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2010 in the United States and took place on February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beg ...

but it did not make the final shortlist. In 2012, Apichatpong's film '' Mekong Hotel'' was screened in the Special Screenings section at the

2012 Cannes Film Festival The 65th Cannes Film Festival was held from 16 to 27 May 2012. Italian film director Nanni Moretti was the President of the Jury for the main competition and British actor Tim Roth was the President of the Jury for the Un Certain Regard section. ...

. In March 2013, Apichatpong and fellow Kick The Machine artist Chai Siri received the "Sharjah Biennial Prize" at the 2013 Sharjah Biennial 11 in the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE; ar, اَلْإِمَارَات الْعَرَبِيَة الْمُتَحِدَة ), or simply the Emirates ( ar, الِْإمَارَات ), is a country in Western Asia (The Middle East). It is located at th ...

(UAE), alongside five other artists, including Magdi Mostafa and Fumito Urabe. Apichatpong was also awarded

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

's "Fukuoka Art and Culture Prize" in June, alongside

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

n visual artist

Nalini Malani Nalini Malani (born 19 February 1946) is a contemporary Indian artist widely acknowledged to be among the country's first generation of video artists. She works with several mediums which include theater, videos, installations along with mixed ...

, worth 3,000,000

yen The is the official currency of Japan. It is the third-most traded currency in the foreign exchange market, after the United States dollar (US$) and the euro. It is also widely used as a third reserve currency after the US dollar and the e ...

(

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

30,530). In March 2014, it was announced that Apichatpong will feature among 32 directors from four continents, including

Vincent Gallo Vincent Gallo (born 1961) is an American actor and director. He has had supporting roles in films such as ''Arizona Dream'' (1993), ''The House of the Spirits'' (1993), ''Palookaville'' (1995), and '' The Funeral'' (1996). His lead roles include ...

and

Gaspar Noé Gaspar Noé (, ; born 27 December 1963) is an Argentine filmmaker based in Paris, France. He is the son of Argentine painter, writer, and intellectual Luis Felipe Noé. In the early 1990s, Noé along with his wife Lucile Hadžihalilović were ...

, to direct ''Short Plays'', a soccer-themed omnibus production shot around the world. Apichatpong's short is set in his home town, features 22 shots of its lake, almost the only recognizable feature from his childhood, which are arranged like players in a soccer game. Apichatpong's latest film, ''

'', a collaboration with

, produced by Diana Bustamante and shot in

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

in 2019, had its premiere in the

2021 Cannes Film Festival The 74th annual Cannes Film Festival took place from 6 to 17 July 2021, after having been originally scheduled from 11 to 22 May 2021. American director Spike Lee was invited to be the head of the jury for the festival for a second time, after t ...

. It received the

(ex aequo), alongside

Nadav Lapid Nadav Lapid () is an Israeli screenwriter and film director. Film critics consider him to be among the most internationally acclaimed filmmakers from Israel. Biography Lapid was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, to a family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent. ...

's '' Ahed's Knee''. Apichatpong also directed a segment of '' The Year of the Everlasting Storm'', an anthology film.

Perspectives

In a May 2013 interview for the ''Encounter Thailand'' journal, Apichatpong stated that all of his films are personal in nature and he does not consider himself a cultural ambassador for Thailand. In relation to the concept of "

queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...

", he explained: "For me, the word queer means anything’s possible."

Filmography

Feature films

Short films and installations

*''Bullet'' (1993) *''0116643225059'' (1994) *''Kitchen and Bedroom'' (1994) *''Like the Relentless Fury of the Pounding Waves'' (1996) *''Rice Artist

'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 Biennial The Istanbul Biennial is a contemporary art exhibition that has been held biennially in Istanbul, Turkey, since 1987. The Biennial has been organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (IKSV) since its inception. Format Istanbul Bien ...

, 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 the 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

, 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 A fact is a datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance, which, if accepted as true and proven true, allows a logical conclusion to be reached on a true–false evaluation. Standard reference works are often used to check facts. Scient ...

Liverpool Biennial Liverpool Biennial is the largest international contemporary art festival in the United Kingdom. Every two years, the city of Liverpool hosts an extensive range of artworks, projects, and a programme of events. The biennial commissions leading ...

, 2006) *''The Anthem'' (for LUX/

Frieze Art Fair Frieze Art Fair is an international contemporary art fair in London, New York, and Los Angeles. Frieze London takes place every October in London's Regent's Park. In the US, the fair ran on New York's Randall's Island from 2012–19 and in 2 ...

, 2006) *''Unknown Forces'' (for REDCAT, 2007) *''Luminous People'' (in '' The State of the World'', 2007) *''Because'' (2007) *''My Mother's Garden'' (for

Christian Dior Christian Ernest Dior (; 21 January 1905 – 24 October 1957) was a French fashion designer, best known as the founder of one of the world's top fashion houses, Christian Dior SE, which is now owned by parent company LVMH. His fashion houses a ...

, 2007) *''Meteorites'' (for Short Films for the King

Bhumibol Adulyadej Bhumibol Adulyadej ( th, ภูมิพลอดุลยเดช; ; ; (Sanskrit: ''bhūmi·bala atulya·teja'' - "might of the land, unparalleled brilliance"); 5 December 192713 October 2016), conferred with the title King Bhumibol the Great ...

's 80th Birthday, 2007) *''The Palace'' (for

National Palace Museum The National Palace Museum (; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ: Kwet-li̍p kù-kiung pok-vu̍t-yèn), is a museum in Taipei, Republic of China (Taiwan). It has a permanent collection of nearly 700,000 pieces of Chinese artifacts and artworks, many of which wer ...

, 2007) *''Emerald'' (2007) *''Vampire'' (for

Louis Vuitton Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end Luxury goods, luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton (designer), Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its produc ...

, 2008) *''Mobile Men'' (in '' Stories on Human Rights'', 2008) *''Phantoms of Nabua'' (for

Toronto International Film Festival The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...

, 2009) *''Empire'' (2010) *''M Hotel'' (2011) *''For Tomorrow For Tonight'' (2011) *''The Importance of Telepathy'' (for

Documenta ''documenta'' is an exhibition of contemporary art which takes place every five years in Kassel, Germany. The ''documenta'' was founded by artist, teacher and curator Arnold Bode in 1955 as part of the Bundesgartenschau (Federal Horticultura ...

, 2012) *''Cactus River'' (for

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, t ...

, 2012) *''Mekong Hotel'' (for

Arte Arte (; (), sometimes stylized in lowercase or uppercase in its logo) is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping ARTE, plus ...

, 2012) *''Ashes'' (2012) *''Sakda (Rousseau)'' (2012) *''Dilbar'' (at

Sharjah Biennial The Sharjah Biennial is a large-scale contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in the city of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The first Sharjah Biennial took place in 1993, and was organized by the Sharjah Department of Cul ...

, 2013) *''Fireworks'' (2014) *''Fever Room'' (at Kunstenfestival des Arts, 2016)

Contributions

*2008 ''Life on Mars'', the 2008 ''Carnegie International'' *2011 "For Tomorrow For Tonight", Irish Museum of Modern Art *2013 "Mirage City Cinema", Sharjah Biennal 11 *2013 "Photophobia", Oslo, Norway

Notes

References

External links

* *
''Cargo Film Magazine'' video interview
(German language)
''Thought Catalog'' online magazine profile''Encounter Thailand'' May 2013 interview (PDF)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weerasethakul, Apichatpong 1970 births Living people Directors of Palme d'Or winners

Apichatpong Weerasethakul Apichatpong Weerasethakul ( th, อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล; ; ) is a Thai independent film director, screenwriter, and film producer. Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system ...

LGBT film directors LGBT screenwriters

Gay writers School of the Art Institute of Chicago alumni

21st-century LGBT people Postmodernist filmmakers