Cemetery of Splendour
2015
Available on
Country
Soldiers with a mysterious sleeping sickness are transferred to a temporary clinic in a former school. The memory-filled space becomes a revelatory world for housewife and volunteer Jenjira, as she watches over Itt, a handsome soldier with no family visitors. Jen befriends young medium Keng who uses her psychic powers to help loved ones communicate with the comatose men. Doctors explore ways, including colored light therapy, to ease the mens' troubled dreams. Jen discovers Itt's cryptic notebook of strange writings and blueprint sketches. There may be a connection between the soldiers' enigmatic syndrome and the mythic ancient site that lies beneath the clinic. Magic, healing, romance and dreams are all part of Jen's tender path to a deeper awareness of herself and the world around her.
Director:
Details
Runtime:
122 min
Release date:
2 Sep 2015
Awards:
4 wins & 5 nominations.
Top Critics Reviews
fresh:
Given the cultural boundaries, there is much in the film that we may never fully grasp, but the less we're told, the more were sucked in by the film's hypnotic, ever-expanding aura of mystery.
– Scott Marks,
San Diego Reader,
7 Apr 2016
fresh:
If you haven't seen a Weerasethakul film yet, here's a good opportunity, but leave your expectations at the door. There's no one like him.
– G. Allen Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
23 Mar 2016
fresh:
The point seems to be a sort of symbolic political wake-up call for a nation where modern life takes a very long time to arrive.
– Colin Covert,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
17 Mar 2016
rotten:
The actors seem to be miles from the cameras.
– John Hartl,
Seattle Times,
17 Mar 2016
fresh:
An enchanting interpretation of where our sleeping and waking minds wander.
– Julia Cooper,
Globe and Mail,
11 Mar 2016