Celebrity Life

Award-winning filmmaker and director Apichatpong Weerasethakul on his latest film Memoria, working with Tilda Swinton, his art and more.

During Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul's busy summer, he found time to talk to us about his latest film Memoria, which won the Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival, as well as his current art installation at Bangkok's 100 Tonson Foundation.

In conversation with Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul

When his film Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives received the Palme d’​Or at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul became the first Southeast Asian director ever to win this top award. Of course, he'd already shown several times at Cannes, beginning in 2002 with Blissfully Yours (which won the Un Certain Regard prize), but his 2010 victory catapulted the soft-spoken director to new heights of stardom on the international art-house cinema circuit.

For Oscar-winning actress and noted cinephile Tilda Swinton, a long-time admirer of Weerasethakul’s work, Uncle Boonmee ranks as one of her all-time favourite films. On the British Film Institute (BFI) website she describes it as, “Slow cinema at its most immersive, lateral and resonant. It’s possible to believe you dreamed Apichatpong’s films after you see them… they certainly take you somewhere you’ve never been before on this Earth.”

Now, more than a decade since the release of that landmark film, the acclaimed British-born film star has the lead role in the enigmatic director’s latest movie, titled Memoria, which had its world premiere on July 15 at this year’s Cannes Film Festival (coincidentally the eve of director Weerasethakul’s 51st birthday). 

In the film, Swinton plays Jessica Holland, a Scottish orchid farmer in Columbia who finds herself unable to sleep after being startled at daybreak by a loud and inexplicable bang only she can hear (this idea stems from an experience the director had during his own first visit to Columbia). She later befriends an archaeologist studying some newly unearthed human remains, and becomes fixated on a 6,000-year-old skull with a hole drilled into it – in order to “release bad spirits”, the archaeologist tells her. Together, the pair visit the excavation site, and then in a small town nearby Jessica encounters a man by the river with whom she begins to share memories. 

In retrospect, it seems almost cosmically inevitable that Swinton and Weerasethakul would one day collaborate on a film. When I spoke to the director, shortly before the Cannes festival, he discussed how he and Swinton have become friends over the years, and how they’d long been searching for the right project to work on. In fact, he wrote the script for Memoria specifically with her in mind.

“It’s not a typical work for her,” Weerasethakul said. “That’s why it took time for us to find the right moment, so that she could be totally committed, for a long stretch of time. It’s quite unusual.” Also unusual is the fact that this is the director’s first film not set in his native Thailand, or with Thai dialogue (it's a mix of English and Spanish). It seems like quite a daring artistic leap to take all at once.

“I know,” he chuckled, “but that’s the beauty. I think that I should have done this a long time ago. I've been working with my own team in Thailand for almost 20 years. So to suddenly shift and go somewhere else with a new team is a bit scary, but it definitely opened up the senses.”

So does this combination of star power and a primarily English script hint that Memoria might be a step in a more commercial direction?

“I have no idea!” he said gleefully. “That’s why I’m excited about Cannes, to find out, because I can never judge my movies, really. But I wouldn't say it’s commercial. That’s why we need so many partners, to contribute little by little,” he adds, listing the countries of production as Colombia, Thailand, UK, Mexico, France, Germany and Qatar, while the movie itself is a Kick the Machine Films and Burning production, in association with Illuminations Films (Past Lives). As for critical reception, the film went on to win a Jury Prize at Cannes – one of the festival’s top honours.

“The film is about the vibration of memories that connect us,” the director said during his acceptance speech, in which he also thanked Swinton for her grace, humour, and heart. “We talked many times about this dream,” he told her from the stage, “and here we are. Our ship has landed.”

In addition to Memoria, Weerasethakul was also part of another Cannes 2021 premiere, having contributed a segment to the anthology film The Year of the Everlasting Storm, alongside such renowned international directors as Jafar Panahi, Anthony Chen, Laura Poitras, and Malik Vitthal.

“I contributed a short film to this omnibus project. All the films reflect the situation we’re in… the pandemic. It was made last year actually, when the situation was quite intense. In my case, I just shot [it in] my bedroom.”

After Cannes wrapped up, Weerasethakul returned to Bangkok, where he put the finishing touches to his art installation, A Minor History, at the 100 Tonson Foundation art space, which runs until January 2022. To some, it seems curious that with all his success in cinema he’s still interested in smaller-scale art exhibitions, but he doesn’t see the two disciplines as mutually exclusive.

“They feed on each other,” he explained. “But, of course, making a movie involves a lot of people and financing, so art installations allow me more freedom to experiment.” Coming from someone whose feature films are most often described as bewildering, inscrutable and hallucinatory, with a marked preference for unconventional narrative structures, this seems an interesting and even amusing statement.

For his exhibit at 100 Tonson, which combines photography and three video channels, Weerasethakul relates how he returned to Thailand’s rural Isaan region, the setting for many of his previous films, for inspiration.

“After the lockdown [last summer] I travelled to the northeast, where I grew up, to see and be inspired by the landscape and the people there. It started from just having no direction at all. I spent a month and a half on the road, mainly along the edge of the Mekong River, passing through my hometown of Khon Kaen, as well as Nong Khai, Nakhon Phanom and Ubon Ratchathani,” he says, adding that the stories he unearthed in the region were mostly about situations that were quite oppressive. 

“In Kalasin, I discovered the ruins of an old cinema that reminded me of those big cinemas I grew up with, so I kind of juxtaposed these ruins – like the skeleton of a dead animal – with the current situation around there, most importantly the disappearance of people,” he says solemnly, alluding to the incident in January 2019 when the bodies of two high-profile Thai political activists, who had fled to Laos seeking sanctuary, were discovered in the Mekong River; very much the victims of foul play. 

In its entirety, A Minor History comprises two halves, which change midway through the scheduled six-month run. Helping with the show’s evolving concept is Manuporn “Air” Luengaram, a well-known Thai curator with whom the director has worked closely in the past.

“The first part is mainly a kind of reminiscing,” Weerasethakul remarks. “A fictionalised story about a person strolling along the Mekong and talking about the floating corpse, and how the Naga [the mythical river serpent] accidentally swallows the corpse and then has to throw up.”

Such pointed political jabs seem destined to stir up controversy, but the director is well-known for ruffling feathers in his homeland. For the Thailand release of his internationally acclaimed 2006 feature film Syndromes and a Century, which had its premiere at the Venice Film Festival that year, the Thai Censorship Board demanded the removal of four scenes (a request the director denied, although he later agreed to a limited release where the cut scenes were replaced by a black screen). As for his award-winning 2015 film Cemetery of Splendour, he never gave it a theatrical release in Thailand for fear that it would also be censored, though it has been screened privately at special film events. 

As for the future, the director reveals a small glimpse of what he’s working on. “It’s another strange project, combining film and performance, but I cannot tell you much about it yet,” he said. However, he did indicate it's influenced by the ongoing pandemic and also touches on his continuing interest in exploring the theme of sleep. 

“At the same time I’m developing local works where I really want to focus on the political situation in Thailand,” he continues. “We are living in a very ‘crossroads’ moment. The new generation has a totally different attitude from my generation. There’s been such a shift in the past 10 to 20 years in this country.”

And while he’s probably too humble to say it outright, outspoken artists such as Weerasethakul have played a major role in keeping the spirit and momentum of that shift alive.

(Image credits: All stills used from the film Memoria are courtesy of ©Kick the Machine Films, Burning, Anna Sanders Films, Match Factory Productions, ZDF/arte and Piano, 2021)

This story was first published in the August 2021 issue of Prestige Thailand and online on Prestige Thailand here.

The post Conquering Cannes: In Conversation with Apichatpong Weerasethakul appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

On paper, a slinky black dress styled alongside a statement gold necklace is predictably humdrum; nothing to write — or text; or any manner of communication — home about. Until the equation is casted on one Bella Hadid. To the surprise of absolutely nobody, the 24-year-old supermodel, once again, proves she has the Midas touch. Everything she does is magic! Everything she touches turns to gold!

Bella Hadid stole some breaths at this year's Cannes festival in Schiaparelli, with the yoke of her dress entirely cut out and replaced by gilded trompe l’oeil lungs — creeping, crawling and branching off down paths of bronchioles that also look a little like roots. Tree branches. How your synapses connect in your brain when you have a thought.

As for us mere mortals who will not have the opportunity to be styled-and-coifed in Schiaparelli haute couture save for very vivid fever dreams, here are some extra-large necklaces that could stand-in as inspiration. For your consideration: Go big or go home!

(Hero and featured image courtesy of Schiaparelli)

The post Big Statement: 10 very large necklaces inspired by that viral Bella Hadid look appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Presented by the award's illustrious godmother Jessica Chastain, the Trophée Chopard recognised two up-and-coming talents in the world of international filmmaking: Jessie Buckley and Kingsley Ben-Adir.

Swiss luxury brand Chopard is the proud partner of the Cannes Film Festival - redesigning its prestigious Palme d’Or trophy, the highest prize awarded at the festival, in 1998. Co-president and artistic director Caroline Scheufele designed and crafted the stylised golden palm composed of 19 gold leaves resting on a single crystal rock, handmade in Chopard's Haute Joaillerie ateliers.

Since 2014, the Palme d'Or has been crafted using ethical Fairmined-certified 18K yellow gold — marking Chopard's commitment to sustainable luxury.

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the sustainable luxury brand's own esteemed award — created in 2001 by Scheufele. While most awards at Cannes focus on rewarding excellence in present cinema, the Trophée Chopard honours the best of tomorrow - rising stars in international cinema.

"My family and I have always been committed to perpetuating the artistic professions cultivated in our workshops," says Scheufele of her company's altruistic DNA. "Thanks to our initiatives, Chopard is a company acknowledged for its decisive role in training. It was therefore only natural to extend our concern for transmission to our commitment to cinema."

Part of the 74th Cannes Film Festival's official calendar, the Trophée Chopard 2021 rewards a female and male 'revelation' of the year, "enabling us to draw public attention to an actress and an actor who deserve to gain recognition in their field so as to launch their career," says Scheufele.

An illustrious panel of cinema veterans form the jury, chosen jointly by Cannes Film Festival president Pierre Lescure, Thierry Frémaux, and Caroline Scheufele. On this year's jury are Spike Lee, Mylène Farmer, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Mélanie Laurent, Tahar Rahim, Song Kang-Ho, Elsa Zylberstein (Un certain regard jury) and French minister of culture Roselyne Bachelot.

This year's award went to Irish actor-singer Jessie Buckley and British actor Kingsley Ben-Adir, presented by actress Jessica Chastain at a star-studded dinner ceremony at the Majestic Hotel. A loyal supporter of the Cannes Festival, Chastain first debuted in Cannes in 2011 and has participated as a jury member since 2017, making her the perfect fit as Chopard's patroness of the award.

Other distinguished guests present included Audrey Azoulay, Irène Jacob, Aïssa Maïga, Adrian Brody, Paz Vega, Dorra Zarrouk, Joséphine Japy, Benoît Magimel, Nicolas Maury, Zita Hanrot, Haley Lu Richardson, Nelly Auteuil, Daphne Patakia, Miyi Huang, Kogomada, Irène Jacob and Dadju.

Trophée Chopard's recipients are often highly decorated in the years after winning - Marion Cotillard and Florence Pugh come to mind, as well as previous winners like Anya Taylor-Joy, Diane Kruger, John Boyega and James McAvoy. This year's honoured rising stars are sure to be no different.

"In 20 years, we have helped detect many brilliant actors," says Scheufele. "This is a great source of pride for our Maison, and a sign that we must continue this work in order to contribute to the history of tomorrow’s filmmaking.”

Buckley is currently filming in Canada and accepted her award remotely. Her film and television credits include lead in musical Wild Rose and psychological thriller I’m Thinking of Ending Things, as well as roles in drama miniseries Chernobyl and black-comedy cult series Fargo.

Ben-Adir has plenty of television credits under his belt including High Fidelity, Love Life and The Comey Rule (as President Barack Obama), as well as the starring film role as Malcolm X in Regina King's One Night in Miami.

The post Jessie Buckley and Kingsley Ben-Adir win this year’s Trophée Chopard at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Linhan Zhang is quite possibly the youngest filmmaker from Hong Kong who has had multiple nominations for award-winning short films in various film festivals around the world. His recent short film The Last Ferry from Grass Island has just been selected for the 2020 Cannes Film Festival. We speak to him at SKYE rooftop bar of Parklane Hotel to find out why he founded his film production company Bering Pictures as well as his inspirations and aspirations as a burgeoning director.

The post Linhan Zhang’s First Steps in Film appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

With the Festival de Cannes (aka Cannes Film Festival) currently taking place, it’s the perfect occasion to share with you the best hotels of the French Riviera to plan your next trip there (maybe for the next Festival?)!

InterContinental Carlton
Cannes

Rising above La Croisette, facing the sea, close to the Palais-des-Festivals, this luxury hotel has the perfect location for your stay in Cannes.

Continue reading Best Hotels Of The French Riviera at Luxxu Blog.

With the world-famous Cannes Film Festival kicking off in its usual glamorous style, A-list stars have been descending on the celebrated La Croisette on the fashionable French Riviera. Celebs arrive here by the private-jet-load to grace the red carpet, view the films, and celebrate at private after-parties on the sun-drenched Côte d’Azur. Oozing glamour, Cannes […]

The post Glitz & Glamour Grace the Red Carpet at The Cannes Film Festival appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.

Pre-empt the most anticipated film festival by feasting your eyes on Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection for the Cannes FIlm Festival 2019

The post Here’s a Look at Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection for the Cannes Film Festival 2019 appeared first on LUXUO.

American model Arizona Muse was spotted looking gorgeous at the Cannes Film Festival 2018 wearing Dior's Haute Couture gown from the Maison's Haute Couture Autumn-Winter 2017-2018 collection.

“A complete collection should address all types of women in all countries," as expressed by couturier Karl Gutzkow in his autobiography, Dior by Dior.

This was one of many inspirations that guided Maria Grazia Chiuri, the Artistic Director of women’s collections, in creating the Autumn-Winter 2017-2018 Haute Couture collection that celebrated the House’s 70th anniversary.

It was no mystery why the model decided to wear such a beautiful creation. The ball gown is embroidered with roses and braids, inspired by the design “Soirée Cubaine” from the Autumn/Winter collection of 1955. In its making, the dress solicited a total amount of 600 hours!

For more information, visit www.dior.com.

The post Arizona Muse Embroidered in Dior at Cannes appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The veil of mystery enshrouding Chopard’s “big party” was raised at the magnificent Château de la Croix des Gardes - a stunning, unforgettable night to close the annual Cannes Film Festival.

The post Chopard’s Dazzling Secret Night in Cannes appeared first on LUXUO.

With an ensemble designed exclusively for Bardem by Ermenegildo Zegna Artistic Director Alessandro Sartori, Javier Bardem's floral jacquard bespoke outfit augmented the actor's irrepressible charisma and charm.

The post Javier Bardem in Ermenegildo Zegna Couture for 71st Edition of the Festival de Cannes appeared first on LUXUO.