Sang sattawat (2006)

Director:

Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Writer:

Apichatpong Weerasethakul (writer)

Release Date:

13 June 2007 (France)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Story about director Apichatpong Weerasethakul's parents who were both doctors, and director's memories about growing up in the hospital environment. |

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Arkanae Cherkam	...	Ple
Jaruchai Iamaram	...	Dr. Nohng
Sakda Kaewbuadee	...	Sakda
Sin Kaewpakpin	...	Old Monk
Nu Nimsomboon	...	Toa
Jenjira Pongpas	...	Pa Jane
Sophon Pukanok	...	Noom
Nantarat Sawaddikul	...	Dr. Tei
Wanna Wattanajinda	...	Dr. Wan

Directed by
Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Apichatpong Weerasethakul		writer

Produced by
Wouter Barendrecht	....	executive producer
Simon Field	....	executive producer
Keith Griffiths	....	executive producer
Charles de Meaux	....	producer
Pantham Thongsangl	....	co-producer
Apichatpong Weerasethakul	....	producer
Michael J. Werner	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Sayombhu Mukdeeprom

Film Editing by
Lee Chatametikool

Art Direction by
Akekarat Homlaor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sompot Chidgasornpongse	....	second assistant director
Suchada Sirithanawuddhi	....	first assistant director

Sound Department
Lee Chatametikool	....	sound editor
Richard Hocks	....	sound re-recording mixer
Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr	....	sound
Koichi Shimizu	....	sound

Other crew
Manita Niyomprasit	....	location manager
Pantham Thongsangl	....	project manager

Production Companies

• Anna Sanders Films
• Backup Films (in association with)
• Centre National de la Cinématographie (CNC)
• Fonds Sud Cinéma
• French Ministry of Foriegn Affairs
• Illuminations Films
• Kick the Machine
• Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication
• New Crowned Hope
• TIFA

Distributors

• British Film Institute (BFI) (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Fortissimo Films (2006) (Thailand) (all media)
• ID Distribution (2007) (France) (theatrical)
• Pacific Media Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)
• Strand Releasing (2007) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Strand Releasing (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Houdini Studio  post-production

Also Known As:

Intimacy (International: English title) (working title)
Intimacy and Turbulence (International: English title) (working title)
Syndromes and a Century (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:105 min | Argentina:105 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Canada:105 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Thailand | France | Austria

Language:

Thai

Colour:

Colour

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:15 | Argentina:13

Company:

Anna Sanders Films

Trivia:

Chosen by "Les Cahiers du cinéma" (France) as one of the 10 best pictures of 2007 (#10, tied with "Ne touchez pas à la hache" and "Hei yan quan")

Interesting but so what

While the experiments with memory and non-sequential progress through the film are interesting, my final reaction was so what.

What was Weerasethakul trying to achieve that Resnais had already done far better in L'Année dernière à Marienbad. The formalisms explored through the retelling of stories at a different time and place were intriguing but there were none of the power of the imagery of Marienbad. Images from Marianbad live with me 30+ years later. These ones won't and not only because I'll be dead by then.

It was two hours on the edge of tedium, but the skill was you stayed on the edge not fell into ennui. But I had no sense when I left the cinema that I had had a true aesthetic experience or provided me with images to refract new experiences through.

Maybe hotels do more for me than hospitals, I don't know.