Apichatpong was born in Bangkok and grew up in Khon Kaen in north-eastern Thailand. He began making film and video shorts in 1994. He has also mounted exhibitions and installations in many countries. Often non-linear, with a strong sense of dislocation, his works deal with memory, subtly addressed personal politics and social issues. They have won him widespread international recognition and numerous festival prizes, including a Palme d'Or from the Cannes Film Festival. His latest work, Mekong Hotel, is a one-hour experimental documentary for Arte television. The film is a part of his diverse projects focusing on the Mekong river at a Thai-Laos border.

FACT and Jacqui Davies commissioned Weerasethakful's short film Monsoon for Channel 4's Random Acts Series.