Woon-Chong Shong

Ximending was once the trendiest area in Taipei, and it's also where Kang-sheng Lee's first film was shot. Twenty years ago, director Ming-liang Tsai asked Lee if he wanted to be in his film, and Lee's answer changed the course of his own life forever. Now Lee returns to where his career began to shoot a film about himself.

대만 뉴웨이브를 대표하는 차이 밍량 감독의 신작. 아버지와 두 남매는 타이페이 외곽에 있는 숲과 하천 그리고 비 내리는 거리를 떠돌아다닌다. 낮이면 고급 아파트를 홍보하는 인간광고판으로 거리에 서 있는 아버지. 그 동안 아이들은 슈퍼마켓과 백화점을 돌아다니며 시식코너를 이용해 끼니를 때운다. 밤이 되면 가족은 버려진 빈 건물에 들어가 밤을 보내는 일상을 반복한다. 임시거처로 머무는 건물의 벽화에 마음을 빼앗긴 아버지. 그에게 한 여성이 다가온다. 이미지만으로 서사를 끌어가는 경지와 형식적인 새로움. 사라져가는 공간에 대한 비애와 차가운 도시에서 살아가는 고독한 인간에 대한 연민. 응시와 느림의 미학이 끌어내는 경이로운 순간까지. 차이 밍량 감독의 새로운 도전은 계속 진화하고 있다. (2013년 제5회 서울국제건축영화제)

In a coastal village near Taidong during the 1960’s, a single, middle-aged mother, Bao-chai, lives a quiet life with her daughter, Xi-lian, a 20-year old schoolteacher. After conservative Bao-chai finds out that Xi Lian has fallen for her cousin, she forbids them to see each other. As time passes, Xi-lian finds love again, this time with Chu-cheng, a new teacher at her school from mainland China. When Chu-Cheng is relocated, he writes love letters to Xi-lian. Unknown to Xi-lian, the letters are intercepted and read by Bao-chai, who, in reading them, has feelings awakened in her that has been buried for most of her life. Then, one day, Chu-cheng comes to visit, and something happens that will change these three quiet lives forever…

Hsin-He, a high school sophomore who can get along just fine on her own, lives with her father. At school, the days pass slowly by, until one day, she is assigned to be the student teacher. Since she loaths math, her teacher orders Ke-Lei, student teacher from another class, to tutor her.

This is a collection of three films by emerging Taiwanese directors all revolving around the theme of strong, young women involved in mayhem of some sort. In all of them the theme of alienation within the crowded streets of Taiwan runs strong.