The seventh edition of the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival (BEFF7) concluded its run with a thought-provoking and immersive journey into the realms of virtual and augmented reality, with one of its most highly anticipated highlights being A Conversation With The Sun (VR) by celebrated Thai filmmaker and artist Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
Held from Jan 25 until last Sunday at One Bangkok Forum, BEFF7 marked a triumphant return after a 12-year hiatus, solidifying Thailand's position as a hub for world-class experimental art and cinema. Apichatpong, renowned for his meditative, dreamlike narratives and his ability to blend history, memory and the supernatural, presented an installation that pushed the boundaries of traditional cinema, transforming the very notion of how stories are experienced.
A Conversation With The Sun (VR) previously debuted at the Thailand Biennale in Chiang Rai with the support of Chanel and was Apichatpong's first foray into the realm of virtual and augmented reality performance. This immersive multimedia piece seamlessly merged virtual reality, performance and moving images to create a meditative exploration of light, memory and the existential cycles that define human existence.
Tilda Swinton and Apichatpong Weerasethakul.
"My kind of Asian cinema and our living have always been about ghosts -- traces of history, of light, of things left unsaid," Apichatpong remarked. "A Conversation With The Sun (VR) is part of that lineage but in a different form. It's a cinema without a screen, where the Sun itself becomes the object of contemplation."
The exhibition was enhanced by the evocative and haunting soundscapes of the late legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, whose score played a pivotal role in shaping the atmosphere. Sakamoto, known for his ability to weave electronic and classical elements into deeply emotional compositions, lent his artistry to this project, making it one of his final works before his passing.
Apichatpong reflected on this collaboration with reverence: "In addition to working with Japanese artists, this work also includes a soundtrack by Ryuichi Sakamoto, which is probably one of his last works. So it was very important for us to invite artists and filmmakers to create film and animation to accompany Sakamoto's sounds."
The digital artistry of Katsuya Taniguchi played an equally significant role in elevating the visual experience. Taniguchi's VR landscapes pulsate with life, where shadows and light dance in fluid movement, creating an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality that perfectly complements Apichatpong's creative vision. His dynamic VR panoramas blur the boundaries between the real and the surreal, offering a mesmerising visual landscape for viewers to navigate.
The use of 360-degree augmented and virtual reality technology enabled viewers to experience the piece through cinematic VR glasses, expanding the imagination beyond conventional perception. Through this medium, elements that cannot be physically seen, heard, or touched are made tangible, allowing the audience to enter a dreamlike state where reality and illusion coalesce.
"Whether we are in a movie theatre or in a dream, we have little control over it. I think VR is a bridge between two states of consciousness, the real and the unreal. There is an interpretation and reflection between these two dimensions," Apichatpong explained.
Each session of A Conversation With The Sun (VR) lasted one hour and accommodated 15 participants at a time, reinforcing an intimate and contemplative atmosphere. As audiences donned VR headsets, they were transported into a world where light, memory, and existence itself were deconstructed and reimagined. This restricted setting not only heightened the immersive quality of the experience but also evoked the act of ritual, a theme that Apichatpong frequently explores in his works.
"When I was working on this exhibition, I always thought that everything is fragments, disjointed pieces. We are all small pieces, but we come together in a collective dream ritual."
The opening day of BEFF7 saw Apichatpong engage in a special event titled "An Encounter: The Last Thing You Saw That Felt Like A Movie", a unique lecture-performance featuring an in-depth conversation between the filmmaker and his friend and longtime collaborator, British actress Tilda Swinton.
Moderated by Thai film critic and curator Kong Rithdee, the discussion blended sound, light and cinema into a multi-sensory exploration of perception and memory. Swinton, an ardent supporter of experimental cinema, brought her insights to the conversation, weaving personal experiences with reflections on the medium's evolving landscape. This dialogue provided attendees with a rare glimpse into the mind of a filmmaker whose work constantly challenges and expands the cinematic form.
Beyond Apichatpong's exhibition, BEFF7 served as a confluence for experimental filmmakers and artists, fostering dialogue and collaboration within Thailand's rich creative community. By reintroducing BEFF after over a decade, the festival reaffirmed its commitment to providing a platform for artists who challenge conventional narratives and experiment with new forms of storytelling. The presence of A Conversation With The Sun (VR) at BEFF7 underscored the festival's dedication to innovation, as it bridged the traditional cinematic experience with new media art.
"Natural light and sunlight play an important role in creating images, just like the 19th century Impressionists," Apichatpong said. "The Sun is something I have always interacted with, just like the 'memories', 'sleep' and 'dreams' that appear in my films and artwork."
The themes of impermanence and transformation that permeate Apichatpong's oeuvre found a fitting home in Bangkok, a city steeped in its own transient beauty and historical layers.
"Bringing this piece to the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival was important because this city, this region, understands impermanence. Light moves, bodies disappear, memories dissolve. We are always drifting," he mused.
As BEFF7 drew to a close, Apichatpong, once again, transcended the boundaries of traditional storytelling, proving that cinema is not confined to the screen but can exist in a space where reality, memory, and imagination intersect.
