Syndromes and a Century

Syndromes and a Century might remind you of Beckett. Not much happens in this movie, and on top of that it happens twice! The importance of this not happening, however, is very much happening. The film is Weerasethakul’s retelling of the story told to him by his parents about how they met as doctor and nurse in first a provincial, and then an urban hospital. Thus it becomes a much richer story, as we see the past as understood from the present in different, but similar, ways, on the border between poetry and philosophy. The enchanting mood, the humour, and Weerasethakul’s unique ability of conveying a lot with very little will spellbind you nonetheless, if you let it. gil