Make a joke about how to pronounce his name all you want, but Apichatpong Weerasethakul is one of the best filmmakers in world cinema. After his acclaimed “Memoria,” Weerasethakul revealed plans to shoot his next film in Sri Lanka, and it looks like it’s finally happening.
A Palme d’Or winner, Weerasethakul is set to shoot “Jengira’s Magnificent Dream” in February 2026. Tilda Swinton, who starred in “Memoria,” has mentioned that she would star in the film, and production would require her to stay eight months in Sri Lanka filming. No word yet on whether she’s still attached.
“Jengira’s Magnificent Dream” tells the story of a widow who goes to Sigiriya to scatter her husband’s ashes. “While blurred visions alter her perception of time and space, she finds herself drawn into a journey through different eras. Through this journey, guided by science and empathy, Jenjira becomes a living portal that connects past, future and spirit,” says Arte in an official statement.
Weerasethakul has hinted that the film will be inspired by “2001: A Space Odyssey” author Arthur C. Clarke’s life: “He lived and died in Sri Lanka, and one of his books, ‘The Fountains of Paradise,’ is an inspiration.”
Speaking on the length of the project, we might be in store for the longest film of Weerasethakul’s career.
“I wrote a treatment for a three- or four-hour movie, just from my imagination, from what I dream about,” he said. This would make “Jengira’s Magnificent Dream” the lengthiest film of his career. “Memoria,” his longest to date, was 136 minutes.
Either you love this man’s style of filmmaking, or you hate it. There’s really no in between. Weerasethakul, whose great “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall Past Lives” won the Palme d’Or back in 2010, has been a cinematic mainstay ever since 2004’s “Tropical Malady.” His films play out in wide-lensed frames, strange in nature, and suffused with an infatuation for the mysteries of nature and dreams — all laid out in unconventional narrative structures that defy traditional perspectives.
UPDATE: The official cast has been revealed — Jenjira Pongpas, Connor Jessup, Sakda Kaewbuadee and Tilda Swinton.
Criterion's December lineup has some great additions to the library, but the title that jumped out at me is Werner Herzog's "Grizzly Man," which officially joins the Collection on December 8.