Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (2010) dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul

We take a gentle, nostalgic, and surreal turn with this episode via Apichatpong Weerasethakul's 2010 palm d'or winning fantasy film, Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

We meditate on what so-called 'Slow Cinema' can offer the autistic viewer, and how this form of filmmaking cuts against the mainstream fast-paced approach. We also enjoy Weerasethakul's fantastical leanings and the methods he uses to normalise and naturalise the supernatural, while we also consider how the natural landscape of the Thai jungles evoke the connections often made between autism and the environment.

Georgia manages to make an intriguing comparison to the work of David Lynch, while Lillian laments alternative methods of filming nature that Uncle Boonmee seems to want to resist.

To read about the autistic 'ecological sainthoods', as explored by Dr Anna Stenning, find her article here: https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/7715/7606 

What do you make of the work of Weerasethakul and other proponents of 'slow cinema'? Does it connect with an autistic sensibility? Do let us know! Email us on cinemautism[at]gmail.com or join in the conversation on twitter @AutismCinema