UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES

Synopsis

The final part of Thai auteur Apichatpong Weerasethakul's multi-platform art project 'Primitive' - which includes 2009's short films 'A Letter to Uncle Boonmee' and 'Phantoms of Nabua' - 'Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives' won the coveted Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes film festival. With its unorthodox structure, esoteric themes and dreamily impressionistic atmosphere, the award serves as ultimate vindication of the depth of Weerasethakul's vision and his mastery of a complex and delicate narrative. The film is built up of set-pieces, loosely based on the memories of the dying Buddhist Boonmee's life and those that came before. As he lies in bed, deep in the Thai countryside, his mind ranges over vast territories, his recollections weaving in magical or supernatural elements in compelling and gorgeous detail. But Boonmee's memories are contextualised within the beauty of nature and conversely, the immediate history of war in the region. A gentle, meditative film of uncommon beauty and rich with allusion and invention, it manages to surprise and enchant in every aspect.

Genre

Experimental, Video Art

Cast & Credits

• Producer:  Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Keith Griffiths, Parichart Puaree, Simon Field
• Scriptwriter:  Apichatpong Weerasethakul
• Cinematographer:  Sayombhu Mukdeeprom, Yukontorn Mingmongkon
• Editor:  Lee Chatametikool
• Cast (in alphabetical order):  Geerasak, Jenjira, Kanokporn, Natthakarn, Sakda, Samud, Thanapat