Apichatpong Weerasethakul Talks FAITH

Apichatpong was born in 1970 in Bangkok where he lives and works. He has been making films since the early 90s and is the most prominent advocate of film art in Thailand. He is one of the a few artists working outside of the strict studio system in Thailand. In 1999, Apichatpong founded the production company ’Kick the Machine’ which supports and promotes independent filmmaking in Thailand. He’s well-known for his award-winning, experimental feature length films that have received prizes at various international film festivals including Cannes and Rotterdam. His newest film Syndromes and a Century has just launched at the Venice Film Festival. Exploring the relationship between memory, fantasy and reality, his works often contain very kitsch moments, inspired by his love of Thai pop music, talk shows, soap operas and horror movies. FAITH (2006) has been commissioned by Liverpool Biennial 2006 for International 06 and will be at FACT throughout the ten week visual arts festival.

• So tell me more about FAITH.
I began working on it after I had finished my recent feature film, Syndromes and a Century, and it felt like a liberation. In Syndromes I had to follow a narrative structure. For FAITH there was more freedom and I could be more abstract. It’s more about my feelings and it’s a lot more personal than Syndromes. Both forms of film are very different so it’s difficult to compare. FAITH was like a release. I had been looking forward to doing this kind of work for a while. The feelings in the film relate to what I was feeling over the last year while I was making the film. When I visited Liverpool in May 2006 it was a very bad moment in my life. The city is changing and I could see a transformation taking place. Those two things made me make FAITH. The Thai name for the film is NEU-MEK, which roughly translates as “above clouds”. When you look up to the sky you really notice change because you can see the clouds moving but when you’re above the clouds you’re above all those changes.

• You’ve just returned from the Venice Film Festival. What did it feel like to have your film launched there?
I was very proud and relieved. Venice was announced at quite short notice so it was quite a rushed film. I wasn’t sure how it would be until that night. In fact it suddenly felt like my baby was OK and would able to go to space by itself.

• How do you feel about being part of the Liverpool Biennial?
I’m really excited. I’m interested more in what people will think when they come and have a look at my film. (I mean with film, I am interested in what people think, but in visual art like installation I don’t care). It’s very personal, like a sketch you’ve done in private. But that’s the good thing about visual art – it’s a liberation so I don’t really feel any pressure

• You’re part of a burgeoning film industry in Thailand. When you look at it, it’s developed so rapidly and so massively in such a short space of time. Do you sense that when you’re working in Thailand?
I feel there has been an adjustment. I feel there is much more opportunity for filmmakers in the region now. Thailand’s filmmakers are suddenly hooking up with other countries. I felt as though Thai film industry was like a boat sinking, now the other boats are coming so there are other, more, opportunities. It’s so very rare to talk about the development of a film industry (I mean it was rare to talk about co-production on an international level ten years ago) and look back and see that it was only ten years ago it had no money.

• Do you feel as though your production company “Kick the Machine” has had an impact on that sea-change?
I think it’s had a good impact on the current generation of filmmakers in Thailand. Suddenly they see an alternative, you know, there was a feeling the final step was making a feature film locally, but now it can be either TV or trying to get the funding at festivals. The filmmakers are so young but doing ambitious different things.

• Finally what do you think of Liverpool?
I think it’s probably quite depressing; I mean it seemed depressing to me at first, but I found myself surprised to see people so relaxed and friendly. I like this contrast very much. The first thing I saw was the architecture, then the environment, the sky. I was quite surprised when I first met the people. They are so friendly. When I was coming here by taxi, when I was walking from the hotel; people chat to you, they smile at you. When you’re visiting you feel as though you have to hook up with people. I see the city developing and I wonder what it will be like in 5 or 10 years. It has to catch up with China though! China is developing so quickly over months not years, so I think Liverpool is in a race with China.