Apichatpong ‘Joe’ Weerasethekul’s new film MEMORIA is the latest piece of an absolutely essential filmography, one that walks in multiple realities, exploring national and personal memory with distinct humour, poetry and a truly transcendental style. It’s also his first feature shot outside his native north-eastern Thailand, and features an all-time great performance from god of cinema/Film Graze bete noire Tilda Swinton.

We look at Joe’s entire oeuvre going back to MYSTERIOUS OBJECT AT NOON, in a conversation encompassing his gallery work, approach to genre, sublime music taste and affinity with hospitals. We also try to situate his work within the larger contexts of both Thai and international cinema (including filmmakers like Bruce Bailie and Anocha Suwichakornpong) and touch upon state censorship and the ways in which Thai filmmakers in the past and present grapple with their national history and contemporary political landscape(s). With discussions of films of endless depth like TROPICAL MALADY and UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES, tune in to find out why Emmett has wanted to do this episode since before the podcast began and exactly how far under their spell Sam fell.

The soundtrack includes Phil Graves’ covers of ‘Love Is A Song’ by DJ Soulscape, ‘Reincarnation’ by Roger Miller, ‘I Would Hurt A Fly’ by Built To Spill and selections from the score to Mekong Hotel.

Films Discussed:

Mysterious Object At Noon (2000)Blissfully Yours (2002)The Adventure of Iron Pussy (2003)Tropical Malady (2003)Syndromes and a Century (2006)Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010)Mekong Hotel (2013)Cemetery of Splendour (2015)Memoria (2021)

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Co-produced by Emmett Cruddas and Sam Storey