It’s perhaps a contradiction that Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s serene personality, which is reflected in the distinctive mood of his films, should be coupled with a restless and prolific curiosity. Forever trying out new modes of expression, his practice spans artisanal shorts, theatrical features, gallery works, and innovative formats, such as a multimedia stage production and an installation that doubles as an overnight hotel. When I first met Apichatpong, in northeast Thailand on the set of Cemetery of Splendour (2015), he spoke about feeling creatively frustrated. He wanted to get out of his home country for his next feature; five years later, he was shooting Memoria (2021) in Colombia. It was a radical departure: new environment, new language, new team, and his first time working with a professional cast, including Tilda Swinton in the lead role. I visited the shoot and, seeing him at work, the revitalizing effect of this change was evident. The result is a film at once recognizably his and markedly different from its predecessors.