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Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Gentle Assault on the Senses

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Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Cemetery of Splendor, 2015. Photo courtesy The Match Factory

Five years after winning the Palme dOr at Cannes Film Festival, director Apichatpong Weerasethakul returns
with the surreal Cemetery of Splendor (Rak ti Khon Kaen), transporting us across time and reality. Instead of
displacing the viewer through special effects, quick camera movements, and cuts, Weerasethakul takes a
simpler approach: confusing the real and the dream with a passive camera. The compositions in his film are more
often than not distant, still, and slow. As viewers of a media abundant world this stillness is arrestingallowing us
to fully perceive each shot and contemplate each interaction. Cemetery of Splendor is a meditation on the fluidity
of history, memory, identity, and relationships.
Weerasethakul spoke with us about the making of the film, his use of subtlety and minimal use of flashy film
techniques, Thai culture, and censorship. Cemetery of Splendor will screen at Walker cinema on October 30
November 1.
What inspired Cemetery of SplendorRak Ti Khon Kaen?

The film is a search for old spirits I knew as a child: the school, the hospital, the cinema. The film is a merging of
these places. I havent lived in my home town for almost 20 years. The city has changed so much, but when I
went back I only saw old memories on top of the new buildings. One of my favorite spots, the Khon Kaen lake,

remains the same.

In Cemetery of Splendor, t he past haunt s t he present : t here are layers of hist ory in a sing le place.
What about t his layering is sig nicant for you?

Thats how we operatewith layers of history and memory. I feel, as a Thai, that my identity is still shifting from
different informationhistorical research, propaganda machine, myths, and tales. At times it is confusing to
search for reality.
Illness, deat h, and medical cent ers have emerg ed in more t han one of your lms. Is t his a
recurrent ent ry point int o t he surreal or dream world?

My parents were doctors, and we lived in one of the hospital housing units. Growing up I was always interested
in sickness. Living in Thailand for the past decade has been like one continuous sickness.

Apichatpong Weerasethakuls Cemetery of Splendor, 2015. Photo courtesy The Match Factory

T he vast majorit y of camera shot s in Cemetery of Splendor are long and st ill, allowing t he viewer
t ime t o medit at e on t he composit ion. Can you t alk a bit about your use of durat ion and st illness?
Is t his a narrat ive st ruct ure you use t o confuse realit y and surrealism, or is your aim t o int roduce
t he past int o t he present ?

I try not to impose on the audiences freedom to look and to listen. It feels almost rude to cut when the
characters are in conversation, for example. The same can be said about the treatment of surrealism. I want this
film to be a gentle assault on the senses, rather than load it with special effects.
T he rst camera movement we see is t he pan over t he escalat or t hat fades out as t he hospit al
ward fades in, why did you opt for t his moment in part icular t o int roduce movement ?

I think this is the proper time to synchronize the audience with the character Jenjira ( Jenjira Pongpas). Its an
excursion to town and to the mind. For me, it is when she merges with Itt (Banlop Lomnoi) and the audience.
It t ment ions t o Jen his desire t o quit t he army t hen suddenly falls asleep. Is t he sleeping soldier
a met aphor?

Can be.
In t he past youve run int o censorship issues wit h t he T hai Censorship Board. What is t he current
landscape of T hai cinema and censorship? Do you see Cemetery of Splendor as provocat ive of
censorship by t he board?

Its tricky because the censorship law is used arbitrarily. A silly comedy can be banned if some elements are not
in tune with the authorities. The elements dont even have to be in the film. For example, if you are independent,
not pro-army, etc., these traits can play a role in how the board treats you.
Early on in t he lm we see sig ns of west ern cult ure: a soldier request s minced meat , bamboo
shoot soup, and a Coke for dinner. Do you embrace t he uidit y of cult ure, or are you more
crit ical of t he pot ent ial loss or dilut ing of east ern cult ure?

Minced meat and bamboo shoot are very local northeastern dishes. We tried to not have subtitles that would be
too confusing for foreign audiences. Anyway, Thai culture is mainly about appropriating other cultures. I am
happy with this fluidity.
What is on t he horizon for you? Are you working on anot her lm or project ?

I am planning something about ancient healing, maybe in South America. But I want to approach it from a
scientific angle. I hope that there will be more elements of science fiction than the previous films.
For more: In October 2012, Apichatapong Weerasethakul made Cactus River (Khong Lang Nam) for the

Walkers first online commission. He was also featured in the Walker Dialogue New Language From
Thailand with Chuck Stephens in 2004.
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