Discoveries from Taiwan World Cinema

Adaptation of Chiung Yao's novel "Fire and Rain".

Seven year-old Taipei girl Pearl is shunted off to Kaohsiung to stay with her grandmother while her parents deal with work and business back in Taipei. Unhappy at this development Pearl wants to return home but her pleas fall on deaf ears. At school she meets cheeky chap Larry who nicknames Pearl "Peel".

Taiwanese movie

Longing. A taiwanese film directed by Kun-Hou Chen and written by Hsiao-Hsien Hou.

Anne—seated in an obstetrics and gynecology clinic—grapples with a heart-wrenching dilemma: whether to terminate her unexpected pregnancy to pursue a high-paying job in the United States or stay in Taiwan and embrace life as a single mother. As the conflict between her rationality and emotions intensifies, her deep-seated fear of family life emerges like an unfathomable monster from within, threatening to consume her entirely.

shaw production

On the day Taiwan passes its same-sex marriage law, Wen-de’s daughter is at home, celebrating her new engagement to her girlfriend.

Born into a stretch of furry yellow, then hand-picked by the man he adores, a young rooster, COCKEREL, begins his caged yet sensual life as a native chicken farm's breeder without even knowing.

In 2010, director Lin Cheng-sheng made Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, a documentary about autistic children and their teacher Han Shu-hua, who taught her young charges to express themselves through art. In this moving follow-up, Lin once again follows Han, who has since founded a shelter institute where autistic children can nurture their talents in painting and music. Because of their inability to effectively communicate their emotions and thoughts, people with autism can often be treated like outsiders. To inspire empathy for them, Lin made this moving documentary that embraces the diversity that these talented individuals and their stirring works of art bring to our lives.

Tells the story of people, ghosts and foxes between a poignant love story.

In 2011, Tsai Ming-Liang staged a play, "Only You", for Taiwan's National Theater and Concert Hall. In it, there was a powerfully moving scene where monk Xuanzang walked at an extremely slow pace for half an hour. Lamenting the transient nature of theater, Tsai decided to make a movie out of this slow-walking performance, "No Form", the first of his "Walker Films" series.

This winter, the boy has become very strange. He bursts out in anger, throws random tantrums, and refuses to play with his classmates. Everyone seems to know the reason, but no one is brave enough to approach him. After school, the boy retreats deep into the forest. There lies his happiest and saddest secret...

Thirteen-year-old Chuan becomes an orphan after his father dies while fishing. Not getting along with his uncle, he runs away from home and temporarily lives in Zhu's temple. A group of conservators come and the leader Hei drives Chuan away. Chuan plots revenge but accidentally discovers the secret of Hei’s night blindness. The two lonely souls thus begin living together in the attic…

A letter from an old friend brings Mo back to the familiar seaside which he would rather forget, a place away from the city. During his high school days, something happened while he was out with friends one night. What happened at the seaside that summer? Let the sea tell you the secret …

In "Morning Fog", Brigitte Lin plays Tu Hsiao Meng, a spirited young woman who's had an unenviable life full of hard knocks. The daughter of a single parent, Hsiao Meng had to give up school and enter the work force to make ends meet. She finds a job as a nursemaid to an invalid boy, and charms everyone around her with her gorgeous smile and agreeable personality. But not everyone is a fan of Hsiao Meng. She makes an enemy out of Shih Mei Ni, who happens to be Hsiao Meng's rival for the affections of Tai Ya Luen (Chin Han). She's also wealthy and higher in station than Hsiao Meng, which is yet another strike against the lovely, but lower class working girl. Can Hsiao Meng rise above her situation and triumph over the odds?

The sound of wings reverberates through the air. In the murky half-light, race pigeon 043 has finally returned after seven years. The family's barely-maintained peace after their son's missing is shattered by 043's return, as the daughter brings a street boy home. Things begin to change gradually, so do the people. In the aftershock of the storm, what course should the wounded follow?

A Manchu prince places a cache of treasure in the care of his five most trusted guards who divide it amongst themselves. One by one the guards are murdered. Who are the secret assassins?

Charles Heung does battle with ruthless triads during the early years of the republic

In Damai Field Village, a city girl named Kui Hua lives with her artist father. One day, her father tragically dies in an accident caused by extreme weather, leaving Kui Hua an orphan. Although poor, a kind-hearted family takes her in，the family of a boy named Qing Tong . Growing up together as brother and sister, Qing Tong and Kui Hua care for and support each other through a time of material hardship.

Taiwanese movie

A young martial artist battles three traitors to retrieve a list of Chinese citizens who are collaborating with the Japanese during their occupation of Manchuria.

Police detective A-Hao investigates a mysterious stabbing by a teenage girl who appears to be possessed by a malevolent force. Once a passionate detective, A-Hao retreated from the front lines several years ago after mishandling the investigation of a wife killer. By chance, he stumbles onto a mysterious stabbing allegedly committed by a teenage girl, which drags him back into the investigations unit. Initially, A-Hao just wanted to quickly close the case, but his investigation into mysterious suspect Wang Jia-ying gradually ignites his desire for the truth. As A-Hao edges closer to cracking the case, Wang Jia-ying begins exhibiting signs of demonic possession. Despite opposition from everyone around him, A-Hao insists on exhausting all possibilities to uncover the truth, not realizing he has already fallen into a trap weaved by lies and conspiracy…

An anti-communist propaganda film by CMPC

An outlander tries to find the amulet that his mom gave him. During the searching, he steps on the journey that he has to face the mistakes he made from the past.

Taiwanese action film.

Eight-year-old Xiao Ru lives in a perfect world, blessed with a hilarious father and a caring mother. But when her phone unexpectedly breaks, it sets off a solo journey to get it fixed. On this adventure, she not only faces the unknown but also stumbles upon a cruel truth she was never meant to discover.

Elementary school teacher Xuan-ying is paid a visit by Yue-jie, a student of hers from 12 years ago. During the three hours they spend together in the classroom, Xuan-ying slowly steps away from her former disaffection with the world and once again witnesses what it means to be alive.

Xiang’s husband borrowed money from a loan shark and soon disappeared. Millions of debt and the vicious collectors drive Xiang suicidal. The loan shark threatens to sell her son’s organs as an offset. Xiang changes her mind and agrees with the loan shark: accident insurance and staged murder.

After Pearl Chang is taken prisoner by the mob, Philip Ko transforms into a one man death force.

Sky One, an unused skyscraper, is located near the harbor. At this night, Sky One is like a mountain in the sea. The window washing cage hanging outside the building is entangled in canvas. The wind is howling, and the cage is like a small boat lost in the waves. It is a desperate cry, and it can only survive by its own strength. Cheng, a former rock climber, Sen, a foreman who wants to make up for his mistakes, and Owen, an extreme sports influencer who pursues traffic at all costs, are trapped in a window washing cage hanging from a high-rise building. Due to insufficient allocation of earthquake relief resources, they face the disaster alone. The only hope is Ching Yi, Cheng’s ex-girlfriend who is trapped in the building, and Yan, a rookie firefighter who comes to pursue Owen but is extremely afraid of heights…

A warrior named Kenshiro, the successor of a deadly martial art style known as Hokuto Shinken, which gives him the ability to kill most adversaries from within through the use of the human body's secret vital points, often resulting in an exceptionally violent and gory death. Kenshiro dedicates his life to fighting against the various ravagers who threaten the lives of the weak and innocent, as well as rival martial artists. This time he saves the earth from a gigantic demon witch and her arm of fighters.

Taiwan, 1980s. A hot summer day, watermelon juice, and celluloid dreams fuel 15-year-old Ming's sexual awakening.

Shaolin and Wu Tang join forces to combat the evil White-Haired Priest using the five elements of kung fu. From this emerges what will become the style known as Tai Chi Chuan from its founder, Chang Shen Fong. See real training, such as the hall of wooden men. Witness the united strength of the Shaolin Monks as they help Chang Shen Fong against White-Haired Priest. See the Three Snake Fists, Black Palm Poison, and other styles for the first time! Jewels from the Wu.

Middle-aged A-San, who has been single for many years, finally feels his heart beating again. But he is hesitant in taking action and asking out Yu-lian. His best friend is someone who has always been on his side and has never abandoned him, but can’t take his celibacy anymore. This friend is his penis. His soft, flaccid penis turns into a human. He swears to God that he will turn his loser life around and get laid. So A-San and his penis duke it out for control of sense and sensibility.

Cut & paste Taiwanese monster movie that uses footage from the Japanese film, Monster Prince.

Complicated mix of Chinese history and myth, where old Shaolin friends find themselves on different sides, one a Ching general, and the other faithful to Ming.

Tang Guan-guan is a single-minded and ruthless TV producer at the WTV television network. She is charged with creating a unique reality TV program like no other – for fans of horror and suspense. The show involves sending five contestants to spend 72 hours in a house where a terrible murder is supposed to have been committed. The house is notoriously spooky and located in a remote area, far away from other signs of civilisation, and some say that it is haunted by terrifying ghosts. At stake is a large cash prize, and the producer and her long-suffering crew decide to select their contestants from the world of social media and popular entertainment.

Taiwanese director Jo Jo Wang's 1985 adaptation of Ryunosuke Akutagawa's short story "The Christ of Nanking". Taiwan's Government Information Office demanded cuts to the erotic scenes, objected to the poster (depicting lead actress Lu Hsiao-fen crucified nude), and demanded a change of the Chinese title.

Kidnapped by a group of bandits and raped by their chief, Dan Zhu slowly develops feelings for the perpetrator. Echoing the social realism of Taiwanese new wave filmmaking, director Wang Tung revisits the wuxia genre, with the emphasis on psychology rather than action.

A newly appointed court official is shocked at the corruption he witnesses.

Taiwanese horror film.

Giant fire breathing rubber dragons, laser firing Ying-Yang symbols, giggling evil midgets, and invisible women all battle against the flying super boy. Unofficial sequel to the lost film Magic Superchild.

Kueiyuan is a deliveryman for a cosmetics company. He is a womaniser and dreams of making a quick buck. He meets a romantic 20-year-old girl, Qingmei, who feels trapped by her mother’s small restaurant and is eager to escape. Kueiyuan earns a commission fee by introducing Qingmei to a cabaret, run by Yuchan. Qingmei falls in love with Kueiyuan and sleeps with him. However, under pressure from Kueiyuan and Yuchan, Qingmei agrees to become a mistress to an old millionaire. Meanwhile, Yuchan seduces Kueiyuan and controls him with money and sex. When Qingmei discovers that she is pregnant by Kueiyuan, the latter demands an abortion. Qingmei runs away and hides. When Kueiyuan proposes marriage to Yuchan and is rejected by her, he finally realises that he is in love with Qingmei and goes out to look for her.

Shuichi, a young doctor working at a hospital in Bangkok, falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy Chinese trader.

The movie revisits the shooting of then-president Chen Shui-bian and vice president Annette LU on the eve of the presidential election in 2004. After the shooting, the two won the presidential election. Moreover, the crime suspect was drowned in a near port days after the incident. The assassination case has been investigated by the authority for 15 years; however, several questions surrounding the "319 Shooting" remain unanswered to this day. The movie approaches a dark period of Taiwan history and shows the mechanics of power - in a witty and creative way.

A Taiwanese Martial Arts film

The story of a complicated love triangle.

Taiwanese horror movie from 1970.

In the dead of night, a driver encounters a mysterious passenger whose enigmatic silence and the erratic navigation system hints at a concealed and ominous secret.