Tilda Swinton project Memoria shooting in Colombia

Respected Thai film maker Apichatpong Weerasethakul is shooting his new film, Memoria, starring Tilda Swinton, in Colombia, confirmed Lilia Manolova at the Colombia Film Commission to KFTV.

The eight-week shoot is splitting its time between the mountain village of Pijao and the Colombian capital, Bogota. Apichatpong was struck by the country’s natural beauty, but also by a century long construction project to tunnel through the Andes, which plays an integral role in the film’s plot.

Swinton plays an orchid farmer visiting her ill sister in Bogota. While there, she befriends a French archaeologist (Jeanne Balibar) in charge of monitoring the construction project and a young musician (Elkin Diaz).

The film has several international co-producers onboard, including Weerasethakul’s Kick the Machine, Beijing based Rediance, Colombia’s Burning Blue, Illumination Films in the UK, Anna Sanders Films (France) and Piano Producciones (Mexico).

Germany’s The Match Factory is handling sales on the film, having done so on several of Weerasethakul’s other projects, including Cannes Palme d’Or winner Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives.

Colombia is becoming a Latin American production hub with growing international appeal thanks to its generous 40% filming incentive.

Tilda Swinton Image credit: IMDB