With the support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles co-presents “the Retrospective of Tsai Ming-liang” with FICUNAM, the International Film Festival of the National Autonomous University of México, at its 11th edition. The retrospective will present sixteen of Director Tsai’s films, including his latest work “Days,” from March 18th to 24th via MUBI, as well as a Master Class and a Workshop on March 25th and 26th. Following the retrospective dedicated to the Taiwanese director Edward Yang in 2013, this is the second time FICUNAM showcasing works of Taiwan’s influential director to foster further appreciation and understanding of Taiwan’s outstanding film art works.
Born in Malaysia and based in Taiwan, Director Tsai has dedicated himself for nearly thirty years and has become a leading filmmaker of contemporary Chinese-language cinema. Featuring urban alienation depicted by minimalist dialogue and long fixed shots, the revolutionary cinematic expression of Director Tsai’s works has shone at international film festivals and established unique filmic form around the world. Entitled “Tsai Ming-liang: Committed Bodies,” the retrospective at FICUNAM this year centers on the poetic spirits driven by Director Tsai’s works through commitment of human body. Within his internationally recognized works, Vive l’Amour (1994) and Stray Dogs (2013) have won the Golden Lion and the Grand Jury Prize respectively at the Venice International Film Festival. The Hole (1998) and What Time Is It There? (2001) were awarded the FIPRESCI Prize and the Technical Grand Prize respectively at the International Cannes Film Festival. The River (1997) and The Wayward Cloud (2005) received the Silver Bear Special Jury Prize and Silver Bear for outstanding artistic contribution respectively, while Days (2020) won the jury Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival. Face (2009) was nominated for the Golden Palm at the International Cannes Film Festival and for the Best Feature Film Award at the Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival. It has also become the first film to be selected for the collection of the Louvre Museum.
The retrospective will present 11 feature films, including the above-mentioned ones and Director Tsai’s debut feature Rebels of the Neon God (1992), Goodbye, Dragon Inn, (2003) that was a tribute to King Hu, and I Don't Want To Sleep Alone (2006) that reflects the lifestyle of Malaysian immigrant workers. Another 5 medium-length films will also be screened, including The Skywalk Is Gone (2002), the Walker series that consist of Walker (2012), Journey to the West (2014), No No Sleep (2015), and his TV work Boys (1991). All the16 films will be available ON-DEMAND in Mexico through the MUBI platform. While MUBI members can watch the 16 films free of charge, the non-members will be able to enroll for free trial. Days and Goodbye, Dragon Inn will be followed by post-screening QAs, available to the world on YouTube after streaming.
Another highlight at the retrospective is a series of events to extend the far-reaching cultural impact of Director Tsai’s works to the audiences in Mexico. One is the Master Class, a conversation about Director Tsai’s career and his way of conceiving cinema. It will be available to the global audience, who can join the Q&A session through the chat box on Facebook and the YouTube channel. The other is the Workshop via Zoom targeting film-related students in Mexico about the film direction and the specificities of time in the works of Director Tsai. Moreover, a monographic publication that covers different aspects of Director Tsai’s works from the perception of six notable filmmakers / film critics / programmers of the U.S., Mexico, and Canada will be published both in English and Spanish.
Founded in 2011 as a festival dedicated to bringing the films that are hardly accessible to Mexico, FICUNAM is a platform for the exhibition, analysis and discussion of auteur cinema with the aim of opening a space for appreciation and reflection. As one of the important cultural activities in Mexico, FICUNAM also hosted a program of academic activities to present multiple contexts to film programming. This year, due to the pandemic, FICUNAM will proceed virtually through March 18th to 28th with 109 films from 36 countries. For more information, please visit https://ficunam.unam.mx/.
About the Retrospective of Tsai Ming-liang
1. Film screenings
(1) Date: March 18th-24th
(2) Line-up: https://ficunam.unam.mx/ficunam-11-y-mubi-anuncian-los-titulos-que-conforman-la-retrospectiva-dedicada-a-tsai-ming-liang/
(3) Watching platform: https://mubi.com/promos/ficunam
(4) Post-screening QAs: Available via MUBI during March 18th-24th, or through FICUNAM’s YouTube channel thereafter: https://www.youtube.com/user/FICUNAM
2. Master Class
(1) Time: 7:00 pm Mexico CST time on March 25th (Thursday; will stay available thereafter)
(2) Watching platform:
FICUNAM’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FICUNAM
UNAM Ingmar Bergman Chair YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/user/CatedraBergmanUnam
3. Workshop (capped at 20 people)
(1) Time: 7:00 pm Mexico CST time on March 26th (Friday)
(2) Registration: https://ficunam.unam.mx/tsai-ming-liang-la-experiencia-de-habitar-un-cuerpo/
Press Contact:
Vivian Wang, Cultural Officer
Tel: (213) 403-0168 #103; Email: vivianpink1206@moc.gov.tw