The Films of Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Season of independent Thai auteur Apicthatpong Weerasethakul at: BFI
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The Great Happiness Space

"The lives of the hosts and their customers at first seemed to be extreme and unfathomably foreign from a western perspective. Although many people in Japan see hosts as despicable I see hosts involved in something that is close to all of our hearts, which is the struggle between making a buck and doing the right thing. There is real fascination in looking at this strange form of emotional pseudo prostitution that caters to some women's desires so successfully that they will got to almost any lengths, and pay thousands of dollars to consume it.

I felt no need to be judgmental ... The extent to which there are parallels between female prostitution and male host culture is left up to viewer, but everyone in the film is paying a price one way or another. " - Jake Clennell (Director)

http://www.thegreathappinessspace.com/
Watch: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6186147595582048109

I didn’t want an idea until later; and that turned out to be much too late.

Ryûichi Hiroki’s new film : M

http://www.movie-m.com/

The Wild Man - Chris Doyle Interview

FILMMAKER: You are currently working on a U.S. film. Is there a fundamental difference in the process of filmmaking between the U.S. and Asia?

DOYLE: No. I think the real difference is the level of energy. In Asia now it’s like the Australian new wave, the cinema novo in Brazil, the French new wave. Why? Because there was this confluence of intent and economics, and all those elements sort of matched up at that time. What is strange in the west is — well, not strange I guess — is that people are lost. Let’s be honest. [laughs] People are lost, whether you blame 9/11 or whether you blame the lack of education in schools. Whatever you blame it on, it doesn’t matter. Whereas in Asia, people are finding their voice. It’s been a long journey, you know. Everyone in China is on a roll, [laughs] there’s no question.

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/fall2005/features/wild_man.php