blog 8 : apichatpong weerasethakul

 The surrealist work of Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Over the past couple of weeks, two of the films I have watched that have stood out to me most are two of Apichatpong Weerasethakul's films: Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives, and his most recent film, Memoria. 

The first follows Uncle Boonmee, a man diagnosed with kidney disease, as he reflects on his past lives with the help of the ghost of his wife and his estranged son. It is a beautiful, authentic portrayal of grief, loss, and reflection, and how those who leave us never really leave us. Due to my complicated relationship with grief, I tend find I have a complicated relationship with the way in which it is portrayed in films. Often, it gets skipped over, pretending that it's not there, or that it's easy to move past. In Uncle Boonmee, however, this is not the case. Rather, it shows the complexity between ourselves and the souls of those we lose, and what loss can teach us. Whilst this is different for everyone, in Boonmee's case, the feeling and presence of his wife and son encourage him to reflect on his life and how he has reached this point. As the audience, it makes you think. About our relationships with others, with those we've lost, with life itself. As you're watching a character reflect, it makes you do the same, making you want to reconnect with lost loved ones. Whilst this is unlikely to be in the way that Boonmee does, it encourages the (re)discovery of what it means to live, and how events can lead to each other, or lead to an ultimate event. In the case of Boonmee, this is him having a kidney disease, reflecting on how his life has led to this and to where he is now. Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives is a delicate showcase of what it means to lose, to gain, and to live. 

Despite the plot and story of Memoria being quite different to that of Uncle Boonmee, it also made me think and reflect on various things. Memoria follows Jessica, who experiences a strange sensory syndrome whilst in Colombia after hearing a peculiarly loud bang at night. It is a gentle, slow-burning film exploring Jessica's obsession with the sound that she keeps hearing. At first, it scares her, and we see her desperation to discover what exactly is making the sound. She goes to sound engineers and scientists, but can't figure it out. As the film goes on, it's as if Jessica begins to embrace the sound rather than be feared by it. From a journey of sound discovery begins a journey of self discovery, with Jessica embracing and accepting what originally evoked fear within her, and letting it guide her to serendipity. The long scenes enable you to take in every aspect of it, noticing the small details and designs without any rush or cuts. Memoria also manages to show the importance of creativity and art, with a scene of Jessica looking astounded as Hernán tries to replicate the sound that she has been hearing with only her descriptions. It's a beautiful and captivating scene, emphasising the way that art can make us feel and how it can move us. A film in which every frame belongs in a museum and with sound design that is beyond incredible, which allows the audience to truly feel immersed in the story, I believe we can all learn something from Memoria, and how it portrays obsession and hyperawareness. Rather than letting these obsessions control us, we should let them guide us, viewing them not as an obsession, but as guidance to where we need to be.  

My recent favourite films :

The Tragedy Of Macbeth (2021)

Director : Joel Coen

The Lost Daughter (2021)

Director : Maggie Gyllenhaal 

Let The Right One In (2008) 

Director : Tomas Alfredson

The Farewell (2019)

Director : Lulu Wang

Tangerine (2015)

Director : Sean Baker