Assembling the natural and the supernatural in Thai independent cinema: the ethno-cinematographic rhizomes of Apichatpong Weerasethakul

Q2 Social Sciences

Asian anthropology Pub Date : 2022-04-03 DOI:10.1080/1683478X.2022.2064370

Álvaro Malaina

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Abstract The article introduces the concept of “ethno-cinematographic rhizome,” inspired by Gilles Deleuze’s conceptual framework. This is a non-representational model of an ethno-social world built with time-images, non-hierarchical and characterized by multiplicity, which through memories, myths, fantasies, and dreams open up the actual to the virtual. The concept is applied to Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s cinema. Through the analysis of his most representative films, Tropical Malady (Sud Pralad, 2004), Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat, 2010) and Cemetery of Splendour (Rak Ti Khon Kaen, 2015), I show how they are characterized by the rhizomatic assemblage of natural, daily-life profane components and by supernatural, spiritual and sacred components, which present us the Thai region of Isan. Apichatpong’s ethno-cinematographic rhizomes can help us to deepen in a contemplative and perceptual way our understanding of the ethno-cultural world of Isan, while connecting at a broader level with the “ontological turn” in anthropology by, among others, Philippe Descola, Bruno Latour, and Eduardo Viveiros de Castro.

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泰国独立电影中自然与超自然的组合:阿比乍蓬·韦拉斯哈古的民族电影根茎

摘要本文介绍了“民族电影根茎”的概念，其灵感来源于德勒兹的概念框架。这是一个非代表性的民族社会世界模型，由时间图像构建，非层次性，以多样性为特征，通过记忆、神话、幻想和梦想，将现实向虚拟开放。这一概念被应用于阿皮查蓬·维拉萨库尔的电影。通过对他最具代表性的电影《热带马拉迪》（Sud Pralad，2004）、《能回忆前世的布恩美叔叔》（Lung Boonmee Raluek Chat，2010）和《灿烂的墓地》（Rak Ti Khon Kaen，2015）的分析，我展示了它们是如何以自然、日常生活中的世俗成分和超自然、精神和神圣成分的根茎组合为特征的，它向我们介绍了泰国的伊桑地区。Apichatpong的民族电影根可以帮助我们以沉思和感性的方式加深对伊桑民族文化世界的理解，同时在更广泛的层面上与Philippe Descola、Bruno Latour和Eduardo Viveiros de Castro等人的人类学“本体论转向”联系起来。

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来源期刊

Asian anthropology Social Sciences-Anthropology

CiteScore

1.60

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Asian Anthropology seeks to bring interesting and exciting new anthropological research on Asia to a global audience. Until recently, anthropologists writing on a range of Asian topics in English but seeking a global audience have had to depend largely on Western-based journals to publish their works. Given the increasing number of indigenous anthropologists and anthropologists based in Asia, as well as the increasing interest in Asia among anthropologists everywhere, it is important to have an anthropology journal that is refereed on a global basis but that is editorially Asian-based. Asian Anthropology is editorially based in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Japan, but welcomes contributions from anthropologists and anthropology-related scholars throughout the world with an interest in Asia, especially East Asia as well as Southeast and South Asia. While the language of the journal is English, we also seek original works translated into English, which will facilitate greater participation and scholarly exchange. The journal will provide a forum for anthropologists working on Asia, in the broadest sense of the term "Asia". We seek your general support through submissions, subscriptions, and comments.