Discoveries from Taiwan World Cinema

Taiwanese horror film.

A man returns home from years on the run to find his wife having died of cancer and his son getting a divorce after his grandson's birth. The once mighty gangster ends up living in a nursing home where he finds the warmth and love of a younger woman. As he tries to break the news of his May-December romance to his son, he finds out that his son is now living with a man claiming to be a "close friend." Three generations of Wu, the grandfather who hates to lose face, the father who thinks love trumps all, and the rebellious grandson, collided as they dealt with love, friendship, and family.

An early Brigitte Lin Romance.

The film follows the meandering misadventures of an aimless medical school graduate who has never kept a job and wanders from the bed of one girl to another. He becomes caught between his flight attendant girlfriend who is often away and a high school girl who claims to be a lesbian. A mixture of fast living and brooding melancholy, Fluffy Rhapsody is an engaging, photogenic essay on the current generation of seemingly thoughtless, but in fact overly introspective urban youth.

A male urologist and his dentist husband were madly in love, but their relationship takes an unexpected turn when a video of theirs goes viral on social media. As the spotlight grows brighter, the allure of fame begins to infiltrate one's desires.

Brash and opinionated, Christine Choy is a documentarian, cinematographer, professor, and quintessential New Yorker whose films and teaching have influenced a generation of artists. In 1989 she started to film the leaders of the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests who escaped to political exile following the June 4 massacre. Though Choy never finished that project, she now travels with the old footage to Taiwan, Maryland, and Paris in order to share it with the dissidents who have never been able to return home.

A young farmer and his father are barely able to survive on their meagre corn harvest and so they make their way down from the mountains to the village to borrow money from their relatives working in jade mines or on opium plantations. But missing paperwork, deceit and corruption have left them impoverished too. Finally, the father pawns his cow for a moped so that his son can earn a living as a taxi driver. His first customer is Sanmei, who has returned to Myanmar to bury her grandfather. She decides not to go back to China and to get out of an arranged marriage in order to begin a new life with her son in her old country. When Sanmei accepts a job as a drug runner she persuades the young farmer to be her driver.

The story begins in the 1950's when a group of happy naive primary school students surround a young female teacher. These playmates from childhood are now going through an embarrassing age of adolescence. They get together once again at high school and return to their almamater paying a visit to their teacher. Their reunion goes wonderfully until one of them drowns. Their teacher's husband gets killed while attempting to save the students. In their early 20s, most of them graduated from college and subsequently start their first jobs. Some of them start their career early, some decide to study abroad, and others get married. As for their teacher, she devotes herself to "special education" following in her husband's footsteps. When they are reunited at the age of 40, each of them has experienced different trials of life. In search of good old memories of childhood, they gather together again to walk the corridors of their almamater.

Imperial Japan invades the Topa Community as part of an ongoing colonial invasion against the Tayal people. Their leader, Watan Syat, has been at war with the Japanese for over eight years. His daughter, Loba Watan, agrees to be taken hostage in hopes that her people can return home. A sacrifice which nearly tears the community apart.

A junior-high student bullies and blackmails a younger boy, then receives the same treatment at the hands of some older students.

Rumor has it that the legendary Alpha is planning the greatest comeback ever! He is the Godfather of fraud, yet no one has actually seen him. With the rumor of his return spreading, law enforcement assigns their best men to investigate the case. As part of the police strategy, "actor-wanna-be", Gene, gets recruited by the department as an undercover agent to infiltrate one of the crime gangs. That was the easy part. Now the gang leader’s own plans to lure Alpha involve making Gene a celebrity. With Gene’s growing popularity, news anchor, J.C. Chang (Gene’s long-time dream-girl), gets intrigued by his story - dedicating herself to the discovery of "the real Gene". While dealing with the police, the crime gang, and his dream girl, Gene suddenly becomes the object of everyone's attention. In all this confusion, how can Gene pull it all together and escape almost certain catastrophe?

Oyster-gatherer Ah-lan is in love with the often-absent fisherman Chin-shui, but a bout of premarital sex leaves her pregnant and vulnerable to malicious gossip.

Li Tai must endure terrible hardship under his sadistic Kung-fu master in order to perfect his fighting technique. The ambitious young man finally has a chance to prove himself when his old master meets his match and Li has to use the eighteen secrets of kung fu to fight the challenger.

Chiang May-Yin (Tu Kuei-Hua), is fired from her job as a waitress and, n the way home, she is terrorised by some thugs, raped and left unconscious on the roadside. After a series of confrontations, the leader of the gang, Ah-Chen (Lung Tien-Hsiang), kidnaps Chiang’s son. Chiang sets out for revenge.

Customer relationship officer Alex (Kang Ren Wu) downloaded a mysterious App "Code" on his cellphone. As soon as Alex realized that Code can answer to any wishes he asked for, he became addicted and the App began to rule his life. Until one day, when Alex was asked to commit a criminal act in return for his wishes, he started on a journey of making pacts with the devil.

A massive gold forture is hidden somewhere in the hills surrounding Hong Kong, and 12 kung fu masters are in pursuit of the loot. Through a series of head-to-head confrontations, the pool of treasure hunters dwindles until there's one left.

Qi has a fear of marriage. After he and his girlfriend Qian move into an old house with a large terrace, Qian suddenly disappears, leaving only an engagement ring on the terrace flowerbed. In order to get Qian back, Qi must uncover the terrace’s hidden secret...

Shaw Legend Chi Kuan Chun is the Hung Kuen Fist master who trains an undercover agent known as Queen Bee. His brutal style of Kung Fu comes in handy when the Queen Bee takes on the villains. Authentic Hung Gar Style action presented!

A gay man and a lesbian arrange to have a "fake" marriage to appease their families. Hijinks ensue. The lesbian falls in love with her "husband's" twin sister and things begin to get even more complicated.

Officer Chu finally fulfills her wish to reunite with her drug-addicted sister Elly. As Chu tries to help Elly kick the habit, she is assigned a case involving the "Freaking Spicy Killer." Little does Chu know that the case will endanger her and Elly.

Discovering that she has terminal cancer with only months left to live, young music teacher Hsu Xiuya (Judy Ongg) leaves a comfortable career to pursue her dreams as a “teacher of love” at the remote and dilapidated Cixin [“The Heart of Mercy”] Orphanage. Life at first proves difficult but Xiuya wins the children’s hearts through her music, and transforms the Orphanage and its Headmaster with her patient and nurturing spirit, leaving behind an inspiring legacy of love. Love Begins Here has obvious allusions to Robert Wise’s Sound of Music (1965) via its characters, the lederhosen-inspired uniforms, a musical number channeling Liesl and Rolfe, and the picture-perfect mountain grassland shots - but the similarities end there. Ostensibly to enlighten and encourage the young generation of post-war Taiwan, the film also borrows from Richard Bach’s popular Jonathan Livingston Seagull (1970), a novel (and later film) of New Age philosophy of self-perfection and self-sacrifice.

By refusing to give up his ranch, Zhi Ping ends up being killed by the three tigers. His wife, Mrs. Sung (Hsiao-Chuang Kuo), is a good woman of quarrel who wants to avenge her husband. A wrestler named Dragon (Si Wai), who had his sister raped and killed by these criminals, also wants revenge, and to end them, he decides to infiltrate the gang, and in this, he ends up meeting Lily (Doris Lung) a spoiled girl who is the sister of the chief of the three tigers.

1945-1947, Taiwan. A teenage couple were deeply in love despite objections from the girl’s family. Their tragic story is played out in travelling troupes, tea-houses and western-style cafes, with the backdrop of Japanese occupation and the 28 February Incident.

A young starving married couple leave their baby with mum to find better fortune. They stowaway on a train, but are caught by a guard. The husband kills the guard and is injured, then is shot by another railway employee. The couple find shelter and are helped by a young monk and hindered by his master. The young monk suggests that, in order to pay for medical treatment, that the woman follow the village custom and pawn herself. Presenting herself as having a sick brother instead of a husband, the woman is pawned to an ugly but sincere villager named Ox.

A nearly blind reclusive physicist is forced to share a hospital room with an eccentric woman photographer suffering from dementia. Despite his wish for isolation, he finds himself ever more drawn into her puzzling world, and surprisingly he needs her presence to prevent the fading light from disappearing for good.

Wu Ziyan lives in Zhonglin Village, a place engulfed by industrial zones, together with her mother who suffers from mental illness. When the village faces relocation, Ziyan sees a glimmer of hope for a new life, but she is also torn by inner conflict. A brief trip with her boyfriend becomes a turning point—she leaves her mother alone at home… but where will everything lead?

Ji Ling lives with her husband in Taibei, Taiwan. After a crash that killed their young child, Ji Ling is overcome with grief. Not able to forgive the couple who were driving the other car and even more frustrated with her husband's apparent lack of emotion, she flees to Shangri-la. While traveling, she encounters a young man named Alex who insists on accompanying her as a tour guide. They become close as they travel together but Ji Ling, upon discovering the young man's secret, feels betrayed and continues on her own. On her way to the holy Meili Snow Mountain she meets more disaster. During the long journey in Shangri-la, Ji Ling finds her own way to face the death of her child.

A stand-up comedian performs a routine about his father's sudden passing, only to be met with silence from the audience. However, an unexpected incident exposes his deep longing for his father's love. His absurd yet heartfelt performance ultimately earns him a roaring ovation.

Taiwanese ghost movie.

DU Bin was originally a newspaper photographer but was fired from the newspaper due to the mistaken use of photographs. In low spirits, he becomes a freelancer and takes marital affairs pictures for detective agencies. One day, DU Bin starts to follow the political star CHEN Cheng-rong after receiving an anonymous tip. As a result, a series of explosive incidents take place. The political powerhouse tries to suppress it, the media doesn’t dare to report it, the figure involved in a sex scandal insists he’s being framed, and the mafia threatens and demands the file.Then, unexpectedly, the file with the only picture is burned in an accident. No one wants to believe him. DU Bin is eaten alive by his past memories and faces pressure from all sides. Where should the paparazzo who is caught in a whirlwind go?

This action film tells the unique story of a biracial boy growing up in Taiwan. The boy, Chen Buo, was born to a Chinese mother and a Caucasian father, an American soldier. As a result, he is harassed by his fellow students and turns to a life of crime when he grows up.

A boy's disappointing scores on the college entrance exam bring shame down on his family.

A murderous feline creature seeks revenge against the deedents of Chow Sung who savagely raped an innocent virgin in ancient China.

A red haired martial arts special constable is deployed by the Manchus to round up all the Ming loyalists and eliminate them. The 7 men of Kung Fu prove to be too powerful for him and his posse of fighters and zombies.

A strict father and his two boys share a calm life in a creaky old home. One summer moment changes everything for the brothers.

A young wife paces around a dark room. Lust and violence interweave into a fantastical web. Loitering between her lover, husband, and child, her painful memories of abuse continue to emerge. She cuts her wrist with a razor. In her final moments, the wayward feminine powers are recalled once again by patriarchy.

Peng’s father is killed by the local overlord Chen Tao in front of his son. Years later, the adult Peng has his revenge, killing Tao and incurring the wrath of Tao’s brother. Meanwhile, Fan, a wandering “security guard”, defends himself against Chen’s bullying henchmen, which doesn't sit well with Chen, who offers Fan two choices: join, or die. Chen takes the rebellious Fan to find Ping and kill him. Little does Chen know that Fan his own ulterior motives in mind.

Taiwanese teen film, part of the same series as Chu Yen-ping's "Seven Foxes" and its sequel.

Wandering endlessly between pure incoherence and a tragedy rife with dramatic possibilities, Lau Kwok-Hung sets up the murder mystery of a, low and behold, killer who strikes during rainy nights.

The martial artist Su Hua-Jen has risked his life clambering to the summit of one of the five sacred mountains of Wu Lin, only to come across two monstrous beings in battle. His timely intervention turns the tide of the fight, and unbeknownst to him, sets in motion a series of monumentally consequential events. Back in the city, Su has a more mundane problem to face—an enormous debt with the local book lender. To pay this off, he must peddle his remarkable skills as a physician. While Su would prefer to steer clear of the affairs of the martial arts world, a request from the Lord of Globe Castle is financially promising—and might gain him access to the Fantastic Academy, where he can feast his eyes on the Limitless Celestial Book. But treachery is afoot, and Su is soon drawn into a crisis that will rock the foundations of Heaven and Earth.

Chen Hao-Zhi lives alone with his Grandmother who has Alzheimers and has suffered from a stroke. In order to pay the bills and his grandmother's medical expenses, he goes to work in a gay massage parlor. At first, it was just work...but Hao-Zhi soon finds that he is attracted to some of his clientele, and gets pulled into a world where he loses control of things he thought he could handle.

Mr. Sai, a man of science, finds his relationship with his superstitious wife growing colder over time. After his doctor recommends regular intimacy to improve his health, he faces unexpected challenges—especially when his recently released, outspoken son announces plans to run for local office. Stubborn and unyielding, Mr. Sai must confront his beliefs and adapt as he navigates the trials of his later years.

Shen Chiahg is an erotic photographer haunted by the ghostly apparition of a girl murdered in an adjoining apartment. He lives in a swirling nightmare of perverse sex and Daliesque images. He no longer knows the differences between reality and fantasy. In fact, Shen doesn't even know if he's dreaming or if he's awake.

Two inseparable childhood friends will find themselves confronted ten years later.

Taiwanese romance film.

Taiwanese horror film.

This is the first starring role I've seen Casanova Wong play. He and the film's producers seem to be paying homage to Toshiro Mifune, Clint Eastwood, Jimmy Wang Yu et al. Casa is very much the taciturn, serious lone man on a mission. He is always focussed, apparently calm, until he explodes into action.

Honest and straightforward taxi driver Tan Bo-ho meets Qiu-xiang, a detective-obsessed car wash worker, they become close friends and get into a lot of trouble.

Hong has stayed in the mainland for years. At the beginning of 2020, he closes up his company and came back to Taiwan, where he meets again his estranged daughter, Xiao-Yue, at his ex-wife’s funeral. Hong doesn’t know where else to go. In perplexity, he hears the hoofbeats. The horse turns back to look at him under the moon...

Chie Jen-Hao's Gangster Rock is a lovable mess, though more mess than lovable. It's essentially about people realising fame and fortune isn't everything as long as they're alive and have options, and while there are plenty of ways to film this sort of thing - from the stunning low-key fantasy drama of Studio 4C's Princess Arete to the laid-back coming-of-age vignettes that pepper Hong Kong and Taiwanese cinema - you generally need a compelling cast of characters and at least a modicum of professionalism to pull it off. Gangster Rock has neither. There are two stories here. One plotline follows Hau (Leon Jay Williams, Jump), a small-time gangster not long out of prison after a shakedown gone horribly wrong led to the death of his then girlfriend. The other stars (collectively) Gangster, a group of musicians working the underbelly of Taipei's club scene, where industry sharks insist the two lead