By the Time It Gets Dark

About the movie

Two women arrive at a secluded house surrounded by fields and mountains. The younger woman will direct a film about the older one, a writer who led the student movement in the 1970s. The director records their interviews to use as material for her script.The women dine at a nearby cafe and have an awkward conversation with the girl who serves them. The director begins venturing out alone, and explores a nearby mushroom farm. In the forest, she encounters a glittery blue mushroom.The director records an interview with herself.A road leads to another farm, where workers are engaged in the elaborate process of curing tobacco leaves. One farmer gets done with work and leaves in his truck. En route to Bangkok, he's recognized as an actor. When he arrives home, he reads a new script for an indie film. Later, he lies in bed naked with a woman who traces his features. He plays a series of roles, including that of a singing fish. The actor runs into the woman with whom he was in bed. They exchange small talk about their respective acting careers. She tells him she's taking time off from acting to direct her own film.The first scene of the film recurs with new women who wear full makeup. The season has changed. The woman who was in bed with the actor is there.The girl who waited on the director and writer is now in Bangkok, where she is working as a cleaner at the actor's gym. She goes from one job to another, never connecting with anyone. Eventually, she arrives at a temple, where she shaves her head, lives alone, and sweeps the grounds.She enjoys disco dancing.