The theme of this program is hookup films — stories of young men and women in the city, some by chance, others by design. Each work carries a strong sense of space: homes, subways, laundromats, saunas — online and offline, full of contemporary texture. Sex is the desire to live; when facing death, I feel small, and each night becomes a luxury. At some point, I stopped saying “forever” and began saying “the rest of my life,” though what remains may be only tonight. In one scene, he asks, “Why do you make films?” She answers, “Because I like it.” Because I like it — that’s how simple the reason is for this generation.
The surreal often emerges from everyday life. The rituals, urban legends, and folk beliefs in this selection may appear as distant as myths, yet they are deeply embedded in our daily experience, touching the most potent emotions and sense of awe within us. I have always believed that the surreal is not the strangeness of the external world, but an enlargement of what lies within. Between the mysterious and the mundane, the landscapes of Asia give rise to their own authentic and singular tales. These films move through the cracks between reality and myth, illuminating the subtle, ineffable connections between people and the world, between faith and the void.
The Poison Cat
The Walkers
Dayang Bersiong - The Sinful Cook
One to Ten
"I love you, yet hate you!" Your countenance, your gestures, your radiance—like lightning and flint sparks—are a red balloon that drifts farther the more it is called, a mottled soul writhing in electric illusion, a silhouette branded into white snow, an evil flower blooming from rotting flesh, beautiful as a painted landscape. I have decided to pursue you through light and shadow, to discover what made you make that decision.
Happy Hour I
Happy HourⅡ
Flight of the Red Balloon
The Hostess
Layover
The women who appear in the films above are compelling. They are independent and strong, yet at the same time carry a deep sense of thoughtfulness within them. Through them, I learn an attitude toward living life.
The Sacrifice
Young Ahmed
Feature films may be getting longer these days, but the charm of short films and short collections is still going strong. Whether fiction or documentary, they build their own worlds in a short and sweet way. Nice and easy, nice and happy — you can enjoy them in a good mood, and if a few tears come along, that’s fine too.
Can You Hear Me?
Kedi
Do Not Go Gentle in Taipei
Wheel of Fortune and Fantasy
At The Bench
I’m inviting you to run away with me—but not to escape. To run is active, not passive; everyone who runs has somewhere they want to go—a *there* that differs from the here and now. Running is a force for change. The women gathered in this program are all runners in their own ways. They confront oppressive systems, unequal relationships, the discomforts and constraints of growing up… Some succeed in their escape, some don’t, some are still running and reflecting, and some wander between reality and another world. Let us watch these films and run with them—into the realities women live in, and toward the distant “elsewhere” they long for.
My Prince Edward
Tiger Stripes
In our limited time, how many things do we encounter that are truly worth dedicating our entire lives to? A deep affection for culture, the relentless pursuit of mastery in a craft, and a profound love for one's scene or hometown can all lead people to invest themselves wholeheartedly, becoming the driving force that keeps them moving forward without expecting anything in return. Hayao Miyazaki continuously explores the boundaries of imagination, while Ryuichi Sakamoto, even in the final stages of his life, continued to respond to the world through his music. The purity and passion of these creators are perhaps precisely why I'm so deeply fascinated, and why I want to share this collection of films. I hope you, too, can feel the creators' most genuine love in these works and discover your own passion.
When writing film reviews, I often criticize Chinese-language and Taiwanese films for being too prone to sentimentality and peddling warmth. However, when I watch movies, I'm often in a state of internal conflict. Which side of me—the cold and sharp, or the warm and sentimental—is more easily moved by a film? This film list covers coming-of-age movies, movies about movies, the various relationships between story and art, how authors tell their own stories, and how they integrate the perspective of their era to reflect social consciousness. These aren't exhaustive, but they largely explain my current thoughts on cinema.
Storytellers
Age of Panic
Lee Chang-dong: The Art of Irony
Labyrinth of Cinema
Farewell, My Lovely
Wild Tides
The world is on the brink of collapse. What do you see? In this chaotic era, reality often proves stranger than fiction. Human greed, anger, ignorance, and endless desires and attachments lead to all sorts of uncontrolled and absurd behaviors: authoritarianism reigns, fame and fortune are paramount, violence is rampant, human rights are trampled... The world is gradually collapsing, as if on the verge of destruction. Through cinema, these insane visions are recreated, and as we watch, we remind ourselves to preserve that last shred of kindness and humanity.
The Kingmaker
Bacurac
Holy Spider
The Teacher’s Lounge
And Miles to Go Before I Sleep
I’m drawn to those films where love is fearless and all-consuming—like an addiction I can’t escape… They believe in love, and love their beliefs. Every glance feels like it’s on fire.
