Cannes, France - A surreal movie from Thailand about the reveries of a dying man was the surprise victor of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes film festival.
Littleknown arthouse director Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat) edged out pundits’ favourites including the latest by Britain’s Mike Leigh and France’s Xavier Beauvois.
"I’d like to send a message home: the prize is for you," Apichatpong said in a message to his fellow Thais as he received the Palme from the head of the festival jury, US filmmaker Tim Burton.
Apichatpong can expect a hero’s welcome on his return home from the French Riviera to Thailand, a country still reeling from the bloody crushing of anti-government protests, according to Agence France-Presse.
The director has been an outspoken critic of government censorship rules but his film steered cleared of politics, telling the tale of a man suffering from acute kidney failure who decides to spend his last days in the jungle where he is met by the spirits of the dead.
Among the surprises, his son appears as a giant monkey and an old-world princess has watery sex with a talking catfish.
"This is like another world for me... this is surreal," the director said, thanking "the spirits and ghosts in Thailand" that watched over the film which he said took three and a half years to make.
Thailand’s Culture Minister Teera Slukpetch said the award was "brilliant" news as the kingdom emerged from the worst civil unrest in recent history.
"This kind of victory is what we really need at this time of crisis," he said.
"His award has cheered my heart after feeling so sad in the past few weeks over what has been going on in Thailand," Songyos Sugmakanan, chairman of the Thai Film Directors’ Association, told AFP.
"Uncle Boonmee" is only the sixth Asian offering to win the top prize at Cannes in seven decades of the festival, and the first for more than 10 years.
Oriental Post in Bangkok was the post production house for the film.
Alkmaar - Starting may 19, the Olympic Torch will be carried in a relay around the UK. The Torch will be carried by different athletes and broadcasted LIVE on the Internet, as well as different region…
Newbury, United Kingdom - Australia free to air broadcaster Seven Network has invested in an Enterprise sQ news production system for its Queensland regional operation. The main system will be install…
Newbury, United Kingdom - Australia free to air broadcaster Seven Network has invested in an Enterprise sQ news production system for its Queensland regional operation. The main system will be install…
Fox Sports’ new 24-hour AFL channel Fox Footy, will be calling Global Television Studios in Melbourne home. Global is constructing purpose-built production offices and HD television studios for Fox…
Boston - EditShare Ark, the company's backup and archiving solution, is now available with a new interface and expanded tape library support. The new Ark release features numerous enhancements includi…
Free Magazine Subscription
Printer-friendly version
Email to a Friend
