Tsai Ming-Liang: An American Cinematheque Retrospective - Face

The American Cinematheque is honored to welcome the legendary Malaysian-Taiwanese filmmaker, Tsai Ming-liang, in-person for a 14-film retrospective celebrating his incomparable career as one of the leading figures in the “Second New Wave” of Taiwanese cinema. Tsai’s work exudes an unparalleled beauty, as his camera lingers in and around the quiet corners of urban cities, forming enigmatic character studies in the lonely existence of his many alienated subjects. Actor Lee Kang-sheng is often tasked with embodying one of these lonely urban inhabitants, as he has appeared in all of Tsai’s feature films to-date, and whom we are pleased to welcome alongside the filmmaker in Q&As during this very special tribute to one of the vital voices in world cinema.

In Mandarin and French with English subtitles.

Tsai Ming-Liang brings his regular cast together with legendary French actors, including Jean-Pierre Léaud and Fanny Ardant, for this film commissioned by the Louvre and shot largely on the museum’s premises. A Taiwanese film director, played by Lee Kang-Sheng, mourns the passing of his mother while on a film set in Paris. He relies on silent body gestures to communicate with his French actors, who all seem to have a mind of their own. With the world-renowned art collection as its backdrop, Face is a gorgeously shot and composed work filled with dreamy sequences that resemble performance art installations.

FORMAT: DCP

DISTRIBUTOR: Home Green Films

COUNTRY: Taiwan/France

Cost: $8.00 (member); $13.00 (general admission)