Little Gaspo is making his mark
Miss Universe 1965 Apasra "Puk" Hongsakula is in the slimming-clinic business these days, but says she's distracted at the moment because she's "in love" again - with her first grandson. Puk's son ML rungkhun (Joe) and his wife Burirat recently introduced
Gaspo was along for the festivities this week when Puk and Joe opened a kindergarten extension that he built at Baan Kud Ngnog School in Nakhon ratchasima. Puk helped raise the needed cash and their friends came up with the learning materials.
The opening was a proud family event. In fact, the kindergarten building is named after the baby.
Back to work
The Hollywood Reporter was at the recent Hong Kong International Film Festival and asked our Cannes Palme d’Or-winning director Apichatpong “Joei” Weerasethakul whether he’s taking a break from making feature films.
It was a “break”, the 42-year-old Thai explained, in the sense that he made several short films, organised a film festival, judged another film festival and rigged up some art installations. Plus, “I’ve been busy raising two dogs – which is actually a lot of work,” he laughed.
But enough piddling around, Joei said, announcing his next project, “Cemetery of Kings”, his first full-length feature since “Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives” triumphed at Cannes in 2010. The title is “quite sensitive”, he admitted. “I might have to change that.”
But the script is finished and shooting is scheduled to start by the year’s end, says the showbiz newspaper. The setting is the Mekong River on Thailand’s northern border, where 27 soldiers come down with a strange sleeping sickness.
Successful enough to get pretty much any financing he wants, Joei for now still prefers to keep things modest. This picture has a US$1-million budget. “With a bigger budget, you don’t have the same flexibility,” he said, but he also hinted that the next movie after this one will be more ambitious – and way more expensive.
