Apichatpong Weerasethakul ( born July 16, 1970 in Bangkok, Thailand) is a Thai film director. He attended Khon Kaen University and received a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1994. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and received a master's degree in fine arts in filmmaking in 1997.
Working outside the strict confines of the Thai film studio system, Apichatpong Weerasethakul has directed several features. Themes reflected in his films (frequently discussed in interviews) include dreams, nature, sexuality (including his own homosexuality), Western perceptions of Thailand and Asia, and his films display a preference for unconventional narrative structures (like placing titles/credits at the middle of a film) and for working with non-actors.