What’s with the title?
The film is inspired by the book, A Man Who Can Recall His Past Lives, about an old man, Boonmee, who saw his past lives as a cow, spirit and buffalo. That title sounded to me like an old novel, where you have someone’s fantastic journey; so even though the film is my own take on the different lives of cinema, I wanted to pay respect to Uncle Boonmee.
There are at least five different film styles in the film. Tell us more about your filming technique.
Yes, for me films are like life, and each style of film is a different life. In Uncle Boonmee, the first part is my own style, with animals and everyday life, an introduction to my world. The second style is the dinner scene, it’s like a stage play, and really classical. The third is more documentary-like, outdoors in the farm, while the fourth is the royal costume drama with the princess. And then we go to the jungle, and the camera starts to move, like an adventure film from the past! And finally the last part is in the hotel, a reunion of my actors, and we come back to my own style. So it’s full circle.
Your films often feature people moving away from civilization. What’s nature’s attraction to you?
For me, the forest is the home that we have run away from for so long. I believe that we used to understand the language of the forest, nature, and animals, but now we don’t have that ability anymore. So I always take my characters back home. Especially for Uncle Boonmee—he’s dying, so he’s going home.
Winning the Palme d’Or must have been a validation for you.
I think the reason Uncle Boonmee resonates with critics abroad is its universal themes of death and being alive. We all also share a common cinema history. I’m always fascinated by the ability of the mind and how one can remember so much.
Your films can be quite perplexing for the uninitiated. What do you say to someone who says “I didn’t get your movie.”
I say, “It’s normal,” “See it again,” “So?,” “Try to see it in a theater,” or “OK, I will try harder next time.”
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I grew up in a neighborhood that was full of alpha males. We were all about the same age and they were all pretty competitive. All of us were straight-A students and competitive in sports. Everyday after school, we’d be cycling around the estate and playing badminton. I clearly remember how we used to circle one another on our bicycles, arguing about who did better in class.
I was a socially awkward kid. The kids in my predominantly male neighborhood in Thomson were all like that; we weren’t very socially savvy.
The fierce competition I faced when I was growing up has rubbed off on me. People were always comparing notes about who did better and I was determined to be a top student.
I didn’t grow up with girls except with my sister, who is now a socialite. She’s always been that way since she was young. Our personalities are totally different.
Back in the day, I played practically every sport. I started narrowing my interests down to what I really liked when I entered secondary school. I started out in athletics but when I tore my ligament, I joined the school swimming team. I also played squash.
I was in National Junior College but I was very playful so my mom made me go to Hwa Chong instead. It was kind of like a punishment for me.
When I was in the university, I formed a rock band with a couple of people including David Rasif, who’s now Singapore’s number one fugitive. He was my lead singer and I was the keyboardist. We played music by Led Zeppelin and Journey. I felt more inclined toward contemporary music although we learnt a lot of classical music in school.
Growing up in all-girl schools like St. Nicholas, there were all these schoolgirl crushes. It’s like this: When you go to school and you open up your desk, chances are you’ll see a present like a handwritten card or something in there. Instead of having boyfriends, I’d have girls following me around. I was a pretty butch girl. These crushes didn’t really go very far because I didn’t know what to make of them. My experience in school might explain why I have so many gay friends.
I used to collect watches. I enjoyed hunting down classic watches you can’t really find in stores. I went for auctions and spent time on eBay to find that really unique Rolex. The watch I’m wearing now is quite unusual because the strap is plain and has shiny and matte accents. Right now I have about 20 to 30 watches from brands like Bvlgari and Rolex.
My favorite fashion brands may seem pretty unlikely. I like Spanish labels like Bershka and Pull & Bear. I also love H&M!
Banking is pretty much a pressure cooker environment because when you start lending money to companies, you are responsible for making sure the money gets paid back. In the case of managing a client’s portfolio, you want to make sure the client doesn’t lose money. That can be very stressful.
I’ve been offered banking jobs quite a bit in the past 10 years but I enjoy what I’m doing right now too much.
I think the word “socialite” is a real word that defines people. I know a lot of them. I wouldn’t call myself one though.
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