IT TAKES A VILLAGE

The films of artist-filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul defy categorization. Deeply experiential, his transformative works weave together metaphysical atmospheres with the cultural roots and politics of Thailand, often enlisting nonactors to depict intimate and fragmented journeys across rural landscapes and time. 

In 2019 Weerasethakul began production on his first English-language feature. Set in Colombia, Memoria stars Tilda Swinton as Jessica, an expat in Bogotá who begins hearing inexplicable booms, leading her on a journey into the fabric of consciousness and the terrain of a foreign land. Galerie curator Taylor Russell notes, “I felt as though I was in a sort of cathedral while watching it, and at the same time this sweeping calm washed over me, like a meditation.” 

In this discussion we will go behind the scenes of Memoria’s dreamscape with producers Diana Bustamante and Julio Chavezmontes (two principal members of the film’s large, international producing team) exploring the nitty-gritty of bringing a distinct vision to life.