Special Program (3) Filmmaker in Focus: TSAI Ming-liang

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Presented by: Taiwan Ministry of Culture, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Taiwan Cultural Center

Following “Stray Dogs” (13), TSAI Ming-liang suddenly announced his retirement from theatrical feature film production. Thereafter, he continued his robust creative activities, shifting to producing short films screened at art museums and directing stage productions. This special program includes his debut film, which stunned the international film scene, as well as masterpieces of his early career in addition to a rare screening of “Face” and short films which have never before been screened in Japan.

Rebels of the Neon God

Taiwan / 1992 / 106 min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
A coming-of-age masterpiece depicting the transitory lives of young people set against Taipei’s night life. TSAI’s feature film debut casts LEE Kang-sheng, who was discovered on the streets, as the prep school student protagonist thus beginning their cinema history making collaboration. Winner of the bronze award at the Tokyo International Film Festival as well as the award for best film at the Torino International Festival of Young Cinema.
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Vive L’Amour

Taiwan / 1994 / 118 min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
Three lonely individuals have curious encounters in a room of a high-priced apartment and before long, go their separate ways. The film discards dialogue and music even more than his previous film and establishes TSAI’s characteristic directing style. Winner of the Gold Lion at the Venice International Film Festival and announced TSAI Ming-liang’s name onto to the world.
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The River

Taiwan / 1997 / 115 min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
A son’s rare condition that is causing his crooked neck leads to the apparent recovery of the bonds between family members each of whom are bearing secrets…. CHEN Shiang-chi, MIAO Tien, YANG Kuei-mei among other regulars of TSAI’s films are all present. Winner of the Silver Bear (Special Jury Prize) at the Berlin International Film Festival.
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Good Bye, Dragon Inn

Taiwan / 2003 / 82min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
“Dragon Inn” (67) is being screened on the day a cinema is to close down. Lead actors MIAO Tien and SHIH Chun can be seen in the audience. The box office girl’s affection for the projectionist goes unrequited…. TSAI’s love letter to cinema.
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What Time Is It There?

Taiwan, France / 2001 / 116 min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
A stall owner who deals in timepieces meets a woman about to depart for Paris. Influenced by a small reminder of her, he sets all the clocks in Taipei to French time. Meanwhile, the woman leads a solitary life in a foreign land. Jean-Pierre LÉAUD appears as the man the woman meets on a bench at a Paris park.
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Face

France, Taiwan, Belgium, Netherlands / 2009 / 141 min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
A dreamlike world surrounds a director intending to shoot a movie in France using ‘Salome’ as a motif. Set in the Louvre with appearances by Jean-Pierre LÉAUD, Fanny ARDANT, and Jeanne MOREAU. Screened as the opening film of the TOKYO FILMeX 2009. It has yet to be theatrically released in Japan.
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No Form

Taiwan / 2012 / 20min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
The commemorative first installment of the “Walker” series. Dressed as a monk, LEE Kang-sheng walks very slowly among Taiwan’s crowds. World premiered at the Marseille International Film Festival.
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Walker

Hong Kong / 2012 / 27min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
The second installment of the “Walker” series. LEE Kang-sheng inches slowly through various streets of Hong Kong. Similar to “No No Sleep”, this film was produced as one part of the Hong Kong Film Festival’s “Beautiful 2012” omnibus project. It was later screened at the Cannes Film Festival’s Critic’s Week.
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No No Sleep

Taiwan, Hong Kong / 2015 / 34min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
The latest in the “Walker” series was shot entirely in Tokyo. The film begins with LEE Kang-sheng walking very slowly on a footbridge near Shibuya Station and portrays his encounter with a young Japanese man at a bathhouse. ANDO Masanobu plays the Japanese patron at the bathhouse. One chapter of the “Beautiful 2015” omnibus project entrusting 4 filmmakers to produce short films for the Hong Kong Film Festival.
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Autumn Days

Taiwan / 2015 / 24min.
Director: TSAI Ming-liang
A documentary capturing NOGAMI Teruyo, who worked on KUROSAWA Akira’s films as a script supervisor for many years. It was shot at various places including Toho Studio in November 2014, when TSAI Ming-liang and LEE Kang-sheng attended TOKYO FILMeX. World Premier.
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TSAI Ming-liang Profile


Born in Malaysia in 1957. Emigrated to Taiwan in 1977, and majored in film and theater at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei. Wrote film scripts and also wrote and directed television dramas after graduation, and debuted as a film director in 1992 with “Rebels of the Neon God.” His second film “Vivre L’Amour” (94) won the Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion, and his third film “The River” (96) was awarded the Berlin International Film Festival’s Silver Bear. The announcement of a new film has always attracted international attention including his subsequent works: “Hole” (98), “What Time Is It There?” (01), “Good Bye, Dragon Inn” (03), “The Wayward Cloud” (05), and “I Don’t Want To Sleep Alone” (06). Though he declared his retirement from theatrical films following “Stray Dogs”, which screened at Tokyo FILMeX 2013, he is now passionately involved in creating artistic short films (see film note) in museums as well as directing stage productions.