Cemetery of Splendour

Thai drama from the Palme d'Or-winning director of Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives. A group of soldiers are confined to a makeshift hospital, ill with a mysterious sleeping sickness after digging up a building site. Young volunteer Keng (Jarinpattra Rueangram), possessed of psychic powers, is able to communicate with the comatose men. Meanwhile, housewife and volunteer Jen (Jenjira Pongpas) discovers clues in a soldier's notebook. Could the speculation that they have disturbed an ancient cemetery of kings be true?

"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 coloured 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." (Cannes Film Festival)

Less