Thai filmmaker Apichatpong "Joe" Weerasethakul is widely praised as a central figure in contemporary cinema. Trained in the United States as a visual artist, Weerasethakul stunned the film world with five innovative and dreamlike features made since 2000, including such award-winning films as Blissfully Yours, Tropical Malady, and Syndromes and a Century. James Quandt, one of the foremost film critics and curators working in North America today, has edited the first English-language book on Weerasethakul. Along with his essays, contributors include Benedict Anderson, Tony Rayns, Kong Rithdee, and the British actress Tilda Swinton.