Invisible Waves

The included Electronic Press Kit interviews with director Pen-ek Ratanaruang (30 minutes), cinematographer Chris Doyle (11 minutes) and writer Prabda Yoon (20 minutes), all shot at a poolside apparently in tribute to a key scene from the film, are largely unedited and very to the point.

Ratanaruang talks of his intention for Invisible Waves to be "more focused and less capricious" and "more cinematic" than Last Life In The Universe, and speculates that his difficulties securing financing for the film may have fed into its darker themes. Doyle claims his art rests in making locations more than what they are, and praises Asano (with whom he had already worked on seven other features) for his depth, integrity, focus and 'chi'. Yoon says his original conception was film noir, and the themes of guilt and remorse; and he points out that the protagonist's Japanese provenance was entirely determined by the choice of Asano for the role, rather than being integral to the original story.

An additional 30-minute behind-the-scenes featurette (Making Waves: The Waves Become Visible) is a stylish package cut together in imitation of the feature's oblique aesthetic. The audio of interviews with the crew is played over stills and some moving footage taken on-set.

Ratanaruang reveals: "I shot this film so wildly out of sequence that I could not let it float along freely"; and suggests that as a result Invisible Waves has "much less fat" than his previous films. Doyle talks in unhelpfully generalised abstractions, stating cinema is about "intention" and "engagement" - although, given his immense cinematographic skills, he is beyond criticism, even if he alone knows what all his verbal vagueness means.

Line producer Atchara Takaew shares an anecdote about distracting a security guard's attention for five minutes so that filming could be done behind his back. Ratanaruang concludes that it is really the baby playing Nid who deserves the Oscar, but many others involved in this project would be up for nomination if the Academy had any spine.