Apichatpong Weerasethakul (Thai อภิชาติพงศ์ วีระเศรษฐกุล, born July 16, 1970 in Bangkok, Thailand) is a Thai film director. He attended Khon Kaen University and received a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1994. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and received a master's degree in fine arts in 1997. July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Bangkok from the Chao Phraya River at sunset, July 2004 Bangkok, (in Thai กรุงเทพฯ, กรุงเทพมหานคร, or Krung Thep, Krung Thep Mahanakhon), population 8,538,610 (1990), is the capital and largest city of Thailand. ... The film director, on the right, gives last minute direction to the cast and crew, whilst filming a costume drama on location in London. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or major that generally lasts three or four years. ... Depending on the nature of the structure, the skills of the architect ranges from the complex, such as a hospital or a stadium, to something more simple, such as planning buildings in a residential area. ... The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the premier art museums and art schools in the United States, known especially for the extensive collection of Impressionist and American art in its museum. ... A masters degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. ... Fine art is a term used to refer to fields traditionally considered to be artistic. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Apichatpong Weerasethakul has directed several features, working outside the traditional Thai studio system. Themes reflected in his films (frequently discussed in interviews) include dreams, nature, sexuality (including his own homosexuality), Western perceptions of Thailand and Asia, and his films display a preference for unconventional narrative structures (like placing titles/credits at the middle of a film) and for working with non-actors.

His feature-length debut, Dokfa nai meuman (Mysterious Object at Noon) blends documentary footage and improvised narrative, and was conceptually based upon the 'exquisite corpse' game invented by surrealists. Exquisite corpse (also known as exquisite cadaver or rotating corpse) is a method by which a collection of words or images are collectively assembled, the result being known as the exquisite corpse or cadavre exquis in French. ... Surrealism is an artistic movement and an aesthetic philosophy that aims for the liberation of the mind by emphasizing the critical and imaginative powers of the subconscious. ...

His 2002 feature Sud Sanaeha (Blissfully Yours) won the Un Certain Regard prize at the Cannes Film Festival. His 2004 Sud Pralad (Tropical Malady) won a Jury Prize from the same festival. This is a list of film-related events in 2002. ... The Palais des Festivals (2000) The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival international du film de Cannes or simply le Festival de Cannes) is the worlds most prestigious film festival, first held from September 20 to October 5, 1946 in the resort town of Cannes, in the south of...

Along with his many films, Apichatpong is also known for his short films, videoworks and installations. For the Jeonju International Film Festival he was commissioned in the Digital Short Film project, which he shared with two other Asian directors. His film was called Worldly Desires. Shinya Tsukamato from Japan made Haze and Song Il-gon from South Korea created Magician(s).

In 2005, Apichatpong served as the consultant on the Tsunami Digital Short Films, 13 films commissioned by the Thai government's Culture Ministry as a memorial tribute to the December 26, 2004 tsunami that struck Thailand. His film was called Ghost of Asia. The December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami hits Thailand The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, known by the scientific community as the Sumatra-Andaman earthquake, was an undersea earthquake that occurred at 00:58:53 UTC (07:58:53 local time) on December 26, 2004. ... The tsunami that struck Malé in the Maldives on December 26, 2004. ...

His latest project is a feature film, Intimacy and Turbulence, which is made as part of the New Crowned Hope Festival, to celebrate the 250th anniverary of Mozart's birth. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (January 27, 1756 – December 5, 1791) was one of the most significant and influential of all composers of Western classical music. ...

Through his company, Kick the Machine, which he founded in 1999, he promotes other independent filmmakers and experimental film works.

Filmography

Feature films

• Intimacy and Turbulence (2006)
• Tropical Malady, (Sud pralad) (2004)
• The Adventure of Iron Pussy, (Hua jai tor ra nong), co-director (2003)
• Blissfully Yours, (Sud sanaeha) (2002)
• Mysterious Object at Noon (Dokfa nai meuman), (2000)

This is a list of film-related events in 2006. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2004. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2003. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2002. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2000. ...

Short films

• Ghost of Asia, co-director (2005)
• Worldly Desires (2004)
• Thirdworld (1998)
• Like the Relentless Fury of the Pounding Waves (1996)
• Kitchen and Bedroom (1994)
• 0116643225059 (1994)
• Bullet (1993)

This is a list of film-related events in 2005. ... This is a list of film-related events in 2004. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1998. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1996. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1994. ... This is a list of film-related events in 1993. ...

References

• Creating His Own Language: An Interview With Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Romers, H. Cineaste Magazine (New York), Vol. XXX, No. 4, Fall 2005.

External links

• Apichatpong Weerasethakul at the Internet Movie Database
• Kick the Machine