Discoveries from Taiwan World Cinema

Heads are lined up on the shelves one next to another, with different colors and hair styles, yet all the faces are cold and nonchalant. This is Rainbow Salon, a supplier of hair models and wigs to salons and schools. Among these countless "heads," the shop owner's wife lies in the basement of the Rainbow Salon tonight--struggling to breathe, her windpipe cut. The shop owner rushes her to the hospital and then flees. A reporter follows this case and finds that the shop owner has fled the city with his first love. As the reporter attempts to unveil the truth, an unsolved murder from the past seems to be connected to the case--and nothing is as it first appears.

The Wu Tang hire a formidable leg fighter Kao to fight the Saholin Loyalist Hu Hui Chien

Legendary Chinese rebel Fong Sai Yuk (Fei Meng) takes on the Manchu dynasty in this high-octane martial arts actioner. After killing one of the governor's thugs, Fong must not only elude authorities, but also face a deadly assassin. Discovering the governor has murdered his two kung fu brothers, Fong vows to take on the corrupt leader. The film includes a slew of awe-inspiring battles using lethal Shaolin poles.

In a world where cowboys coexist with Chinese thugs, Arab swordsmen, Nazi troops, Klansmen and spandex-bearing superheroines. Brigette Lin is the "Jackal", a renegade mercenary who betrayed her gang to his Nazi Commander lover and stealing a cache of gold. A year later reunited her gang led by "Cat", a golden sword costumed woman. They are trying to trace the location of the gold cache, but it seems like a small western resort has been built just where the Jackal and her lover. They confront the Jackal over her betrayal. With debt in the trunk, cut by her arm in repayment. Jackal convinces the team to join her lover gang as they try to steal the legendary Sun Diamond.

Taiwanese fantasy / adventure.

Adaptation of Huang Chunming's short story "The Two Signpainters".

A young lady sacrificed her first love when she discovered her boyfriend had a crush on her younger sister whom she was guilt-ridden of her loss of eyesight since childhood days. Years later, when she found her new love, her relationship with her new boyfriend was again put to test when he saw her blind but beautiful sister...

The Three Kingdoms period begins as the walled fortress of Hsin Yang falls to invaders. Centered around this historical event, The Last Days of Hsin Yang follows the escape of the prince of Hsin Yang as he hides with a small family and escapes from the sacked and burning city. Epic battle scenes employ hundreds of extras, and forest swordplay is reminiscent of House of Flying Daggers.

In 2012, the Hong Kong International Film Festival invited Tsai Ming-Ling to make the opening short film. Having grown up with Hong Kong's popular culture, Tsai Ming-Liang decided to pay homage by making a "Walker" film, contrasting the Walker's slowness with the frenzied pace of Hong Kong's cosmopolitan life. The film ends with a song by Hong Kong actor and singer Samuel Hui, who was Tsai Ming-Liang's idol during his youth. The film was invited to be the closing short film for the Cannes Film Festival in 2012.

Wang Yu stars as the charismatic martial arts master Iron Palm who crosses paths on the road with angry swordswoman Hung (Shang-Kuan Ling Feng, Dragon Inn). She's out to get revenge for her father who was killed by a band of ruthless bandits (Paul Chang Chun, Kenneth Tsang, Sit Hon, and Man Chung San). After their fateful encounter, Iron Palm decides to covertly assist Hung in her quest.

The ghost of a gambling master (Wu Ma) returns to earth to help his granddaughter (Yuraki Oshima) to win the annual competition organized by the gambling master of the current year who is the killer of her parents and grandfather.

Aspiring AV actresses Liz Ai Ai and Berry fail to break into the industry and somehow end up joining a wrestling club, where they use their AV-style “special moves” to rise to superstardom. Starring Kimi HSIA, Gemma WU and Tiara HUANG, with stunts directed by Japanese wrestling promotion Stardom, this is a comedy about the struggles and tears behind the pursuit of dreams.

Taiwanese martial arts movie by Karen Yang Chia-Yun

When a comrade is captured by a hostile warlord, five martial arts masters confront the villain's foot soldiers, valiantly battling through their resistance until they come face to face with the warlord himself.

China, 1915. A secret and unequal treaty that would increase Japan's dominance over China is about to be signed unwillingly but not before external forces jump in to make sure it never happens. Therefore both the US and a small band of thieves and orphans (among them Lau Sek-Ming and Alexander Lo Rei) are ordered by their foster father (Zhang Feng-Yi) to track it down in Shanghai. Feeling an unease in terms of their involvement in high politics all of a sudden, it becomes clear there's a traitor in the group...

In a tiny Chinese fishing village, two rival fishermen compete for a young woman's love. She does love one of them, but as she is obligated to the other, she cannot marry him. Tragedy is averted when the one she is obliged to falls in love with another. Happiness briefly ensues as the men, with their respective mates, resume their friendship. Unfortunately, they set out to sea and disappear.

In seven days, a young man must learn how to fight from a master, because, for the girl he is in love with, he have to challenge the current grand title owner, whose father is rivaling the smuggling business of the young man's father.

Police Captain Dragon Leg calls on the services of a known felon and playboy, Snake Fist, to help him infiltrate a gang of Mongolian arms dealers led by the Deadly master of the Spider Fist.

The lives of two young thieves, a mob hitman and a film producer are entangled when the two thieves steal a car that had already been previously stolen to been used as a getaway car.

Old Man and Girl is a Taiwanese Comedy starring Eric Tsang.

A young artist with a terminal illness starts a romance with his brother's fiancee who feels neglected by her busy soon-to-be husband.

The ghost of a murdered (beheaded) woman recruits other creatures of the night to join her crusade against the ancestors of the man who killed her. Mindless, low-budget thrill show with vampires, zombies and ghosts attacking lots of victims. Eventually, the exorcist priests (Kara Hui, Ku Feng) find ways of exterminating the various supernatural entities

RD is a middle-aged man who has lived with his fiancée, Xin-jie, for seven happy years. But when Xin-jie suffers a sudden occupational injury, their lives are plunged into an entirely new state, one seemingly more dead than alive. Unexpectedly disconnected from the familiar things in life, RD is forced to face newfound contradictions.

A contract killer (Alexander Lo Rei) is sent to Taiwan to kill a famous triad boss. After accomplishing his mission he must leave Taiwan as soon as possible since his life is in danger.

TUAN Wan-lu is a naïve and carefree young woman raised in the family of a professor and doted on by her protective older brother and childhood friend KU Yu-lan. Though Wan-lu is deeply attracted to MENG Chiao, their romance is thwarted by the taunts of MENG Chiao’s mother. At the same time, she discovers she is actually the illegitimate daughter of a club hostess. In the face of this double blow, she decides to marry Yu-lan, the one who has always been there for her. Caught between MENG Chiao’s persistent wooing and her own wavering heart, how will Wan-lu will find her way out?

Moon loves penguins. Her lifelong ambition is to study penguins in Antarctica. She believes she’ll meet her destined mate just like penguins do. One day, Moon runs into Adley, a guy in a penguin suit fortuitously making penguin courtship gestures at her. She believes the penguin-scented Adley is her fate. As they spend time together, Adley is moved by Moon's genuineness and passion. Just when their relationship has made some progress, Moon is recommended for an exchange program to the UK, throwing Moon into a dilemma between pursuing love and her dream.

Set during the Jin invasion of China in the Southern Song Dynasty, Iron Mistress tell the story of the eponymous heroine who rises up in this turbulent time to lead a rebellion against their tyrannical enemy with her upstanding character and masterful kung fu. Under the constant pursuit of Jin general SAN Ke-Ning, Iron Mistress hides out in the depths of the mountains with her subordinates, never imagining that the Jin would take advantage of her kind-heartedness by manipulating her emotions and creating distrust as part of a scheme to crack her inner circle. (From TFIA)

Wang Yu plays a military captain who forms a bond with orphaned Chia Ling. Together they comb the Taiwanese countryside in search of the person or persons who murdered Chia's father.

A regional champion martial artist that moonlights as an honour-bound assassin, Tu Ta Shen, solidifies his reputation by challenging top fighters en route to the other champion, Nan Pa Tien, in order to unify both titles. Along the way he defeats a man who's shame in defeat drives him to suicide. Before he dies, recognizing Tu Ta Shen honour, he asks Tu Ta Shen to defeat a group of Manchu supporters led by none other that Nan Pa Tien. The dying mans son, Sa Woo, tries to kill Tu Ta Shen but is easily outmatched. Tu Ta Shen offer to teach Sa Yoo enough so that he can take revenge for his father. The two set out together; One to fulfill a promise to a dying man, one to keep a promise of revenge.

In early Republic of China when Taiwan was still under Japanese occupation, people were oppressed, and their condition was miserable. A Kung Fu coach from China was invited to Taiwan. His name was Wan Chin-san. Mr. Wan established a Kung Fu School in a small village and refused any Japanese to be his student. For this reason, he was assassinated. When his son, Wan Ming-Chieh, heard the terrible news, he came to Taiwan in search of his father.

Hong Kong superstar Jimmy "One Arm Boxer" Wang Yu stars as the Bamboo blade, China's top swordsman. His services are rendered by the Imperial treasury who want him to infiltrate a powerful gang of Highwaymen and get back the stolen silver bullion. After numerous deadly encounters the gang are beaten by the bamboo sword and only the gang leader remains, however he is a lot tougher than was originally bargained for.

Ke-Nan is a brainless detective, he is sent to solve a complicated murder case.

Taipei, late Dec 2012. The city is going through an unprecedented winter heatwave, with temperatures in the 30s. Eight-year-old Tiger (Antoine) lives with his divorced mother, Cao Yi (Vivian Hsu), 36, who is struggling to make ends meet with her job as a magazine editor and reduced alimony payments from her ex-husband (Tang Kuo-chung). Tiger, who has a hyper-active imagination and sees his mother as a run-down robot who needs a new model, is not very bright at school and worries his art teacher (Mini Yang) with the dark pictures he draws in class.

A zombie fearing his gradual decay immerses himself daily in formaldehyde. He relies on reading and painting to maintain a sense of freshness in body, mind, and spirit. Initially hoping to survive in society through his artistic talents, he never encounters any opportunities until one day, he secures a job at a flower shop.

Taiwanese movie

Considered the first biopic of the legendary Bruce Lee, fact blurs with fiction in this low-budget, loose interpretation of the great martial arts expert's life starring Bruce Li, the most well known Lee impersonator. The film takes a look at Bruce's humble beginnings as a paperboy to his rise in fame as a martial arts phenom, who later gets tangled up in a love affair with actress Betty Ting-Pei.

On the night of their high school graduation, three delinquents decide to exchange their darkest, most unspeakable secret.

Born into a wealthy family, Xiao-wei lives a carefree life with his loving mother's care. He enjoys reading picture books written by his favorite author Kauff, especially those works about mermaids. One day, he accidentally takes the wrong bus, arrives at the seacoast and meets a mermaid, Blue. He believes Blue is the embodiment of the character in those picture books. Since then, Xiao-wei's "normal life," has become not "normal."

A group of characters pursue a sacred martial arts text known as the Virgin Sword Book so they can master this most powerful of techniques.

The film takes up the tale of Shaolin students Fong Si Yu and Hung Si Kwan (joined here by a third comrade, Lu Ka Chai) and their efforts to battle Ching oppressors. Their chief antagonist is the Abbot of Wutang who makes it his job to get rid of the three heroes and actually comes up with a clever plan to do so. He creates three exact doubles of the heroes and trains them to fight their counterparts.

The misadventures of a family of sex maniacs

1969 Taiwanese-Japanese co-production adaptation of the 16th-century Chinese novel Investiture of the Gods by Xu Zhonglin and Lu Xixing.

A brothel disguised as a teahouse is staffed with old ladies long past their prime. However, things begin to change and become chaotic when the owner takes in a young girl.

Four Hands relates a family drama that spans China and Taiwan over three generations. The story deals with a veteran of the Chinese Nationalist army who retreated to Taiwan only to discover that the dreams of “reconquering the mainland” are empty rhetoric.

A troupe of traveling performers stop in a small town. However, the general who controls the town has designs on the group's leading actress. They must figure a way to get out of town before the general has his way with her.

Drama about a young boy who suffers from a rare deficiency disease. The medicine he has to take every day has the side effect of making him reek of ammonia. The consequent bullying and ostracism by schoolmates exacerbates the boy's sense of victimhood. His mother, meanwhile, runs a help-line for parents with comparable problems.

The Founding of Ming Dynasty is a highly fictionalized fantasy retelling of the early years of Zhu Yuanzhang’s life that was obviously geared toward younger audiences. The tale actually begins in Heaven, where the various gods are busy paving the way for a new emperor. The very basic facts of Zhu Yuanzhang’s life are ostensibly correct, but it takes a rather unexpected turn into traditional giant monster territory, with a Taoist priest summoning a gigantic red-haired ogre (amusingly referred to as ‘superman’ in the subtitles) to destroy our heroes, who are in turn rescued when a golden dragon (the animal manifestation of one of the deities from earlier in the film) rises from the ocean to do battle with said ogre.

After a bizarre bus accident, Ming Ze awakens from a coma to discover that his mind now shares the consciousness of four fellow passengers – all of them dead; all of them suspects in a serial kidnapping and murder case. To prove his own innocence, Ming evades capture by the police and tries to track down the killer’s only surviving victim. But in order to unmask the murderer’s true identity, Ming must first fight the monster within himself.

Set in 2007, the movie tells of a complicated three-way relationship between a young singer and two people who believe in him.

A boy learns Tae Kwon Do in order to defeat the gangsters threatening his family and the man who killed his father.

9-year-old Lan and his dad always enjoyed time together in Dad's boat art shop. One day Lan came home and suddenly found Dad dies. Lan is shocked. Dad disappears forever. Sister never cries and refuses to speak to Mom. And Mom insists to prepare a seat for Dad every dinner as if Dad were alive. What is worse, Lan's classmates often laugh at him. Lan starts fighting and running away from school. As life gets harsher, he receives a package. It is a strange-shaped clock which has stopped. Dad sent it before he dies. Lan visits many stores trying to fix the clock but in vain. He hope he will have answer for everything when he eventually solved the mystery of the clock...

Learning of childhood friend Meihua's death, Lingling goes to Japan to find Meihua's sister, Meifeng. Brutal gangsters demand Lingling return an item Meihua stole, and hold Meifeng hostage. Old friends help Lingling confront the gang.