- VR performance
Filmmaker Apichatpong’s first VR piece on the depths of memory and existence arrives in Tokyo.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a filmmaker known for his tranquil and lyrical works that deal with legends and folklore, personal memories of the forest, anecdotes about past lives, and current issues against the backdrop of the northeast region of Thailand. He continues to break ground in film history with numerous masterpieces, such as Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010, winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival) and Memoria (2021, winner of the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival).
Commissioned by Aichi Triennale 2022, this work was created in collaboration with Japanese creatives as an experiential performance piece, with the director delving into VR technology for the first time.
Communing with invisible spectral beings, bodies in sleep or states of sickness, and experiencing time suspended in a circle—Apichatpong, who has brought to life the intangible, the invisible, and the inaudible through his unique visual lexicon, further expands his world in the realm of virtual space through VR. Visual poetry that reaches beyond language, ripples created by Ryuichi Sakamoto’s music, particles of light floating in the air—is it a dream, a return to the origin of life, or a near-death experience? This work is certain to welcome us into a completely new time-space.
Profile
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Born in Bangkok, Thailand in 1970. He is currently based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Apichatpong began making films and video shorts in 1994 and completed his first feature in 2000. Apichatpong is recognized as a major international filmmaker and visual artist. His works are characterized by their use of non-linear storytelling, often dealing with themes of memory, identity, desire, and history. His works have won him widespread international recognition and awards, including the Cannes Jury Prize in 2021 for “Memoria”, his first film shot outside of Thailand. He also won the Cannes Palme d’Or in 2010 with “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives”. His “Tropical Malady” won the Cannes Jury Prize in 2004 and “Blissfully Yours” won the Cannes Un Certain Regard Award in 2002. His large-scale video installation “Primitive” (2009) is a multidisciplinary creation that has toured many museums, including the Haus der Kunst in Munich. He participated in documenta thirteen (2012) and won the Gold Prize at the 11th Sharjah Biennial (2013) for his collaboration with Chai Siris. In the same year, he was awarded the Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize. In 2016, he held his first large-scale solo exhibition in Thailand at the MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai. His recent installations include “Constellations” (2018), “Fiction” (2018), “SleepCinemaHotel” (2018), “A Minor History” (2021, 2022), and “Solarium” (2023).
Photo by Supatra Srithongkum and Sutiwat Kumpai
Dates
March 7th [Thu]/
18:00/18:30/19:00/19:30/20:00/20:30
March 8th [Fri]–11th [Mon]/
13:00/13:30/14:00/14:30/15:00/15:30/
18:00/18:30/19:00/19:30/20:00/20:30
*Commons Forum #3 (March 10th [Sun], Booking essential.)
March 12th [Tue]/
13:00/13:30/14:00/14:30/15:00/15:30/
18:00/18:30/19:00/19:30
*Reception opens 30 minutes before each show time.
Performance times
Approx. 60 min.
Venue
Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, 1F Special Exhibition Zone b
2-3-6 Aomi, Koto-ku, Tokyo 135-0064
*The main entrance won’t be available on 3/12 (all day), 17:00- on each performance day. Please use the Staff Entrance on the Right side of the front of the building on the above dates/times.
Ticket
Adults | 4,000 yen
Students | 3,000 yen
Language
Thai (with Japanese and English subtitles)
Credit
Concept and Direction | Apichatpong Weerasethakul
Creative Assistant | Sompot Chidgasornpongse
Cast | Jenjira Pongpas Widner, Sakda Kaewbuadee Vaysse, Chai Bhatana, Sam Mitchell, Sita Kiatneramit
Music | Ryuichi Sakamoto
Sound Designers | Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr, Koichi Shimizu
Director of Photography | Chatchai Suban
Camera Assistant and Production | Thanayos Roopkhajorn
Set Director | Natchanon Pribwai
Film Production Crew | Jirayu Rattanakhanahutanon, Pongsakorn Nanta, Suttipong Nanta
Film Production Manager | Phatsamon Kamnertsiri
Film Production Assistant | Somporn Ruensai
Film Production by Kick the Machine Films
VR Creator | Katsuya Taniguchi
VR Production | Taisei Yamaguchi, Hideyuki Kido, Nuttanit Thiantanukij, Kana Kondo, Satomi Yoshizawa, Hisashi Sato, Yoshinori Ikeda, Hikaru Takatori
VR Adviser | Tsuyoshi Nomura
Thai Translation | Sho Fukutomi
Technical Manager | So Ozaki
Stage Manager | Sato Oikawa
Lighting Designer | Kazuya Yoshida
Sound Engineer | Shinjiro Doi
Producer/Curator | Chiaki Soma
Production Coordinator | Haruka Shibata
Premier Performance/Produced by Arts Commons Tokyo
Premier Performance/Co-Production | Aichi Triennale 2022, The Japan Foundation, Theater der Welt 2023
Organized by Theater Commons Tokyo Executive Committee
Co-organized by Miraikan – The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
Special Support | Shane Akeroyd
Co-operation | RHINO STUDIOS INC., SCAI THE BATHHOUSE, Museo Larco
Equipment Support | STYLY, Inc.
Related programs
Commons Forum #3 “What is reality? A conversation between Apichatpong Weerasethakul and Naotaka Fujii”
Date | March 10th [Sun] 16:30–18:00
Commons Tour (Tour B)
Dates | March 9th [Sat], 10th [Sun]