I Don't Want to Sleep Alone

I Don't Want to Sleep Alone is a 2006 - -drama film written and directed by Tsai Ming-liang. Lee Kang-sheng stars in a dual role as a brain-dead patient being cared for by a young woman , and as a homeless man who is severely beaten by a mob, and then found and cared for by a migrant worker .

Censorship in Malaysia

The Malaysian Censorship Board on 4th March 2007 decided to ban Tsai's latest film shot in Malaysia, ''I Don't Want to Sleep Alone'' based on 18 counts of incidences shown in the film depicting the country "in a bad light" for cultural, ethical and racial reasons. However, they later allowed the film to be screened in the country after Tsai agreed to censor parts of the film according to the requirements of the Censorship Board.

Release

''I Don't Want to Sleep Alone'' was among several films commissioned by Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna in 2006, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The film had its world premiere on September 4, 2006 at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. It made its North American premiere on September 11 at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Pusan International Film Festival, the London Film Festival, the Festival of Three Continents, the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival the Deauville Asian Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.

It opened in general release in Taiwan on March 23, 2007, and after a censorship controversy in Malaysia, a version specially edited by director Tsai Ming-liang opened in on May 17, 2007.

The film had a limited release in New York City on May 9, 2007, and was released in the United Kingdom on November 16, 2007.