The River
18 TBC
Why watch?
“Tsai Ming-Liang is a Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker, widely considered one of the greatest living directors. His films have won numerous awards including at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals.”
Queer East,
The Last Year of Darkness
In director Tsai Ming-Liang’s subversive family drama, Hsiao-Kang gets roped into participating in a film shoot, in which he plays a dead body floating in the Tamsui River in Taipei. But the polluted water provokes a health crisis, as Hsiao-Kang is suddenly struck by debilitating neck pain.
With his parents unable to alleviate his discomfort, the son’s misery causes the troubled family unit to further disintegrate unveiling domestic secrets and repressed emotions. This controversial film which repelled some audiences on release is a stunning work of slow cinema that offers a sly, queer critique of the nuclear family and the values it represents.
Screening as part of the Queer East on tour.
Details
“Whether or not The River is, as some critics have claimed, Mr. Tsai's masterpiece, it is an excellent introduction to his oblique narrative style, his favored themes and his careful, lyrical visual sensibility.”
The New York Times
“The sheer silence and the very peculiar minimalism of The River creates a brooding quality but also a riveting, finely controlled tension.”
Senses of Cinema
“The three principal actors fit their roles like gloves, and the handsome camerawork (by Liao Peng-jung) is a major asset. There's no music, just natural sounds on the track. Except for a shot in which the microphone boom is clearly visible, the film is highly professional in every aspect.”
Variety
