Cemetery of Splendour / Rak ti khon kaen

In a hospital that used to be a school, which itself was built on a cemetery for kings from long ago, lie young soldiers suffering from an unexplained sleeping sickness. Outside, there are models of dinosaurs and an excavator in operation. At night, colored columns of light designed to promote healing illuminate the space. The volunteer Jen takes care of Itt, caring for him, sharing his dreams, reading his notebook and even going to the movies with him during his brief waking hours. Another woman acts as a medium, briefly assuming the identity of a soldier, and visiting an invisible palace. Fantasy and reality, humans and gods are indistinguishable. In the place of his childhood, Weerasethakul stages a film of surreal beauty around a minimalist plot that conveys the feeling of dreaming with open eyes. (bik)