Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Apichatpong Weerasethakul is a famous filmmaker from Thailand.

Many people call him "Joe" for convenience. He works as a director, screenwriter, and producer. He also teaches art at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Joe makes many kinds of art for people to see. He creates long movies and many short films. He also makes art installations for galleries like FACT in Liverpool. His work is very special because he works outside the usual studio system.

Joe's movies often feel like dreams. He likes to use stories that do not follow normal rules. His films often show nature and spirits. He grew up in a Buddhist family with many spiritual traditions. These traditions include animism and Hinduism. He also uses ideas from his childhood. He often works with non-actors instead of famous stars. This makes his stories feel very real and unique. He even made a short film about a lake in his hometown. The shots of the lake were arranged like players in a soccer game.

Joe has had a very successful career. He won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. This was for his film *Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives*. He also won a prize for *Tropical Malady* in 2004. His film *Blissfully Yours* won a top prize in 2002. He has won many other awards too. These include the Principal Prince Claus Award in 2016. He also won the Artes Mundi Prize. His films have been shown at many big festivals around the world.

Joe's life has many interesting parts. He was born in Bangkok, Thailand, in 1970. His parents were both doctors who worked at a hospital. He studied architecture at Khon Kaen University and finished his degree in 1994. Later, he went to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He earned a Master of Fine Arts in 1997. In 1999, he helped start a company called Kick the Machine. This company helps him make his own films and experimental videos. He also helped organize the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival.

Sometimes, making art can be hard. In 2006, Joe released a film called *Syndromes and a Century*. The Thai government wanted him to cut four scenes from it. They wanted to remove scenes with doctors kissing or a monk playing a guitar. Joe refused to change his film. He believed filmmakers should have the freedom to tell their stories. He joined a group called the Free Thai Cinema Movement to fight for this. He wanted film experts, not the government, to decide on movie ratings. This shows how much he cares about the art of storytelling.