TV-View - Tilda Swinton follows a noise - "Memoria" on Arte
"Slow Cinema" is the term used for the work of Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul. For his film "Memoria" with Tilda Swinton in the lead role, this means: The film's plot is not the main focus. There are long, static camera setups that bring atmospheres and soundscapes to life. And a strong leading actress, whose reactions we can follow in slow detail. The drama from 2021 airs tomorrow at 11:55 pm on Arte.
"Memoria", which ran in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Jury Prize, is a film that requires your full attention. It is best watched without distractions, without your phone.
Where does the Sound come from?
Swinton plays Jessica. One day, she suddenly hears an inexplicable sound while sleeping. The bang, which seems to be the only one who can perceive it, keeps coming back. To understand the nature of her acoustic hallucination, they recreate the sound in the studio with the sound engineer Hernan. As they get closer, Hernan disappears mysteriously.
After Jessica travels to Bogotá, Colombia, where her sister lives, she befriends the archaeologist Agnès. "I think I'm losing it," Jessica tells her. "You are. And I am too. There's worse," Agnès replies. The Seeker accompanies the Archaeologist to an excavation site in the jungle and meets a fisherman there with whom she exchanges words.
Jessica suspects that the origin of the sound and Hernan's disappearance are connected, and she must delve deeper into the jungles of Colombia to unravel the mystery.
Everything is connected
With that, the plot is essentially told - but many themes resonate in this work, which is more of a meditation than a regular film. It deals with memory - personal and collective - and the idea that everything is connected in some kind of consciousness stream: people, stones, plants.
Apichatpong Weerasethakul has been a star of international author cinema since at least the Golden Palm for his film "Uncle Boonmee remembers his past lives" (2010). His films, which often represent extensions of his work as a visual artist, revolve around somnambulant states, hallucinations, and the collective subconscious.
- The film "Memoria" by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, featuring Tilda Swinton, will air on Arte tomorrow at 11:55 pm, and it originated from Germany.
- During the Cannes Film Festival, "Memoria" competed and was awarded the Jury Prize, showcasing the film's impact in the media realm.
- As Tilda Swinton's character, Jessica, experiences an inexplicable sound while sleeping in Colombia, the use of television and sound engineering becomes essential to unravel the mystery.
- Tomorrow's Arte broadcast of "Memora" is a valuable opportunity for television viewers to explore the thought-provoking themes in this slow cinema masterpiece, crafted by Weerasethakul.
- The evening of July 26th, tune into Arte and follow the captivating journey of Jessica's search for answers, as she strives to decipher the meaning of those enigmatic sounds in Colombia.
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul, previously celebrated at the Cannes Film Festival with the Golden Palm for "Uncle Boonmee remembers his past lives" in 2010, showcases the power of cinema as a medium to explore the subconscious, hallucinations, and somnambulant states.
