灵层 The Spirit Level

In this mysterious film, a shaman in northeastern Thailand seems possessed by the spirits of dissidents who suffered a violent death.

Set in northeastern Thailand around the Mekong river, this film evokes the syncretic beliefs and sociopolitical turbulence of the region. The Mekong’s origins are associated with the divine Naga, worshipped in temples and underground caverns with a mix of Buddhist and animistic practices. As languorous images of the waters give way to the primal energies of painted temple murals, a shaman conducts an intense seance.

Juxtaposing black-and-white footage with startling colour imagery, the film’s haunting sound design and editing effects create a foreboding atmosphere. The shaman’s spirit possession alludes to the deaths of three activists whose violently mutilated bodies were found in the Mekong in 2019.