Apichatpong Weerasethakul, or Joe as he likes to be called, is a singular and distinctive artist and filmmaker born in 1970. All his films and artworks are set in his native Thailand. Often non-linear, dream like and with a strong sense of dislocation, his works deal with memory, subtly addressing personal politics and social issues. Working independently of the Thai commercial film industry, he is active in promoting experimental and independent filmmaking through his company Kick the Machine.
This year his film “Uncle Boonmee” won the Palme D’Or award and was surely the only winner to ever feature sex between a princess and a thrashing catfish. “Boonmee” is a fantastical tale about a dying man whose past lives — and ghostly relatives — enraptured many critics.
