Tropical Malady

This was the fourth feature by Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul and his first to receive significant attention internationally, including a Jury Prize at Cannes. It’s very easy to tie yourself in knots describing the story,...

Feat. Banlop Lomnoi; Sakda Kaewbuadee; Huai Dessom; Sirivech Jareonchon; Udom Promma

This was the fourth feature by Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul and his first to receive significant attention internationally, including a Jury Prize at Cannes. It’s very easy to tie yourself in knots describing the story, which splits in two Lost Highway-style. The first half concerns a burgeoning romance between a soldier on leave called Keng (Lomnoi) and Tong (Kaewbuadee), a farm-boy who seems to have less experience of other men. Then after a few seconds of black we are plunged into the jungle at night. A soldier (Lomnoi again) is pursuing a shape-shifting shaman (Kaewbuadee again) and in the process he ‘goes native’ and embraces his primal side. How the two halves connect is for you to work out. Tropical Malady offers a beguiling, sensual take on cinema, with an experimental approach to story-telling which (like Touki Bouki) is strongly rooted in folk-tales and oral tradition.

This event is presented in association with Birmingham International Film Society.