Taiwan Film Festival 臺灣電影節 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015 - 19:00 to Sunday, March 22, 2015 - 19:00
From the romance and action of box office hits to contemporary cinematic masterpieces, from gritty independent documentaries to cool art house pioneers — Taiwan boasts a rich cinema, with generations of internationally lauded directors. Take this rare opportunity to immerse yourself in a special selection of Taiwan's filmmaking talent from the last four decades.
All screenings are FREE and open to the public, but places are limited so bookings are essential. All films have English subtitles and are unclassified (R18+) unless otherwise noted.
The Terrorizers 恐怖份子
A series of odd coincidences draw strangers together, straining the relationship of a frustrated novelist and her doctor husband. Edward Yang, one of the key directors of the Taiwanese New Wave, explores the tensions felt by aspirational Taiwanese in 1980s Taipei in this mesmerising and critically lauded psychological drama.
109min, 1986 (M)
Directed by Edward Yang 楊德昌
Cape No.7 海角七號
When a young postman fails to deliver a love letter from sixty years ago he unwittingly kindles an international romance and kickstarts his rock music career. This local box office smash entertainingly explores connections between Taiwan’s vibrant multicultural present and its contentious colonial past.
129min, 2008
Directed by Wei Te-Sheng 魏德聖
A City of Sadness 悲情城市
The first Chinese-language film to win the Venice Film Festival’s coveted Golden Lion, in 1989, A City of Sadness masterfully captures one of the most traumatic periods in Taiwan’s history, told through the fate of one family.
Spring: The Story of Hsu Chin-Yu 春天: 許金玉的故事
56min, 2002
Directed by Tseng Wen-Chen 曾文珍
Drawing on the first-person accounts of former postal worker and political prisoner Hsu Chin-yu and her peers, this documentary confronts the grim fate of some who dared to oppose the authoritarian regime of 1950s Taiwan.
The Peach Blossom Land 暗戀桃花源
One of the few films by acclaimed theatre director Stan Lai, The Peach Blossom Land is a creative journey through personal identity and the China-Taiwan relationship, in which two competing theatre productions are deftly staged together to perform a entirely new story.
107min, 1992
Directed by Stan Lai 賴聲川
Rebels of the Neon God 青少年哪吒
This dark, gritty film probes the loneliness and confusion of youth in the alleys and video arcades of 1990s Taipei. Punctuated by a distinct, pulsating soundtrack, this film launched the careers of now iconic director Tsai, and his longtime collaborator Lee Kang-sheng.
Screening preceded by a special pre-recorded introduction from director Tsai Ming-liang
106min, 1992
Directed by Tsai Ming-Liang 蔡明亮
Monga 艋舺
Outselling Avatar at Taiwan’s box office, Monga is a slick, action-packed and star-studded story about aspiring teenage gangsters. Set during the heady 1980s, in one of Taipei’s oldest neighbourhoods, the young gang’s loyalty is tested by changes afoot in the city’s cut-throat underworld.
141min, 2010 (M)
Directed by Doze Niu Chen-Zer 鈕承澤
Writings that Weave Waves 潮浪譜寫共鳴
The Austronesian first settlers of Taiwan maintain strong ties to cultures across the Pacific region. Reorienting the gaze away from East Asia, this documentary follows a group of young aboriginal Taiwanese on a globetrotting journey of self-discovery.
60min, 2012
Directed by Cerise Phiv 張俐紫 & Benoit Vermander 魏明德
The Gangster's God 炸神明
In this startling documentary, a concrete factory worker seeks retribution from his deteriorating life of alcohol abuse and infidelity, deciding to take part in a dangerous parade at the local temple.
49min, 2006
Directed by Ho Chao-ti 賀照緹
