Sompot Chidgasornpongse Debuts 9 Temples to Heaven
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- Sompot Chidgasornpongse spent more than two decades as assistant director to Apichatpong Weerasethakul, contributing to films such as “Tropical Malady,” “Syndromes and a Century,” “Cemetery of Splendour,” and “Memoria.”
- 9 Temples to Heaven world premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes and entered the competition for the Caméra d’Or.
- The film follows a Thai family’s one‑day pilgrimage to nine temples, featuring the Sangkatan ritual of offering containers of useful items to the monastic community.
- Production was a co‑production among companies from Singapore (E&W Films), France (petit chaos), Norway (Needle in the Haystack), China (La Fonte), Hong Kong (Square One Film), and Indonesia (Qun Films), with international sales managed by Playtime.
- Chidgasornpongse says the script was shaped by political turbulence following King Bhumibol’s death, highlighting generational tensions over sacred institutions.
- Apichatpong Weerasethakul serves as producer, extending a 23‑year mentorship with Chidgasornpongse.
- Chidgasornpongse trained as an architect and earned an MFA in Film/Video at CalArts, which he says informs his structural approach to filmmaking.
Why it matters: The Cannes premiere puts Chidgasornpongse’s debut on a world stage, giving him and the Thai film community heightened visibility, while the film’s entry for the Caméra d’Or and its multi‑national co‑production network signal broader market interest in Thai cultural stories.
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