Family Affair

Not much happens in Syndromes and a Century, the latest movie by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul. Ostensibly the story of the filmmaker’s doctor parents, the work -- an often disjointed connection of long scenes and tranquil images -- unspools as an abstract rumination on love and memories. The narrative (or at least what there is of it) is divided into two parts. The first is told from the perspective of Weerasethakul’s mother, a small-town clinic physician; the second overlaps similar events, as recalled by his dad, who works in a big-city hospital as a surgeon. Supporting characters include a singing dentist (who stops a teeth-cleaning to croon a tune) and a Buddhist monk who wants to be a DJ. But this quiet, dreamlike film isn’t about the story -- indeed, there’s no conflict, resolution, or even plot. Rather, it’s centered on the beautifully rendered and fragmented recollections of a moviemaker working at the top of his game.
Fri., June 8, 7 p.m.; Sun., June 10, 8:40 p.m.