List of Taiwanese films

This is a list of films produced in Taiwan or the Republic of China:
For an A-Z see :Category:Taiwanese films

1920s

1930s

1940s

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

Legend of the Sacred Stone

Legend of the Sacred Stone is a 2000 film created by Chris Huang that reflects the style of budaixi within the country of Taiwan. It is part of the .

Plot

Throughout the storyline within this movie film, 400 years within the past is where it is meant to be taking place. The story begins when a man by the name of Mo Kuei threatens the people to the extent that he will destroy all of Wulin, which had been the forest of residence for the warriors of Wulin. A certain sage by the name of Su Huan-jen had responded to this conflict by summoning three specific warriors from different schools of martial arts to assist him. These three warriors would then wait within ambush for Mo Kuei to gather his spiritual energy amongst the summit of the mountain. The story continues onward in which Lord Jian almost becomes sealed by certain protectors of Wulin. Many conflicts follow this in which Jian loses all of his powers and lusts to find the Sacred Stone to regain his powers.

Character List

''Main characters''

* Su Huan-Jen
* Ao Hsiao Hong-Chen
* Ching Yanz-zi
* Jian Ru-Bing
* Lord Jian

''Other characters''

* Mo-Kui
* Jian Wei
* Jian Wu-Yan
* Jian Jun
* Kwuang Dao
* Hsiao-Chai
* enemy demons

Character Biographies

Su Huan-Jen: The main character within the Legend of the Sacred Stone film. Huan-Jen was regularly referred to as White Lotus through his purity of mind and character. No matter how extreme of circumstances, Huan-Jen will always reflect calmness within his art of the sword and inner mind even when he consists of merely one arm. Huan-Jen is renowned for his excelled abilities with his sword. Huan-Jen also reflects various traits such as being clever within his tactics and rather wise. His ultimate goal is to restore Wulin to its former power even if it costs him his life in the process. Huan-Jen later vows to destroy Lord Jian after he sees his brother dead right before him.

Ao Hsiao Hong-Chen: The primary subordinate character within Legend of the Sacred Stone. Hong-Chen had been an old friend of Lord Jian. The many unforeseen events within his life, such as his friend becoming rather distorted of mind has led for him to have no true desire towards political power. Through this, Hong-Chen has searched for many years towards a more pure way with the world. After some years had passed by, he soon became rather obsessed with spiritual power, and a rather strong sense of justice. However, Hong-Chen can act impulsively at times when his sense of justice is challenged in any type of way. It is noted that Hong-Chen is even a greater swordsman than that of Su Huan-Jen which was proved through a certain serious duel to the death between each other.

Ching Yang-Zi: A very close friend to that of Su Huan-Jen. He is always with Huan-Jen, and they regularly call each other brothers due to their closeness. Yang-Zi possesses a certain unique ability with the harp weapon, in which he can transmit spiritual power and use it as is will within battle. It is also known that Yang-Zi is brave of heart and is a rather noted gentleman. At one time within the story, Yang-Zi attempts to flee with Ru-Bing in hopes of escaping the demon allies of Lord Jian. After Yang-Zi is severely wounded and near death, he had kept continuing to protect Ru-Bing for the sake of his brother. However, after he made a secure rout of escape for Ru-Bing, he would see his last against three specific demons, in which he had violently unleashed his powers amongst the melee. Yang-Zi however was dealt the final slash by the enemy, in which he stood alone with blood rushing forth from his body, never to wake again.

Jian Ru-Bing: A rather beautiful woman who had been well known as the daughter of Lord Jian. Ru-Bing is daily forced to carry around her father's hatred towards their past village. Ru-Bing's actions, which are partially driven through fear, result in her acting in any way that complies with her father. Ru-Bing even went ot the extent as to attempt to retrieve the Sacred Stone from Hell's Valley to restore her father's face, and spiritual power. Ru-Bing is also the secret love of Su Huan-Jen. In the end however, Ru-Bing sadly sacrifices her life to the Sacred Stone so that her father can become restored. This is because the Sacred Stone requires an equal sacrifice to attain a greater goal.

Lord Jian: The primary villain within the Legend of the Sacred Stone, and father of Ru-Bing. Jian had at one time been noted as a kind man of noble descent, even to the extent that he was known as the "Great Protector". Later however, his younger brother would find a certain artifact known as the Sacred Stone, which caused many demons to attack him and to have his whole family slaughtered. This caused for a large distortion within Jian, leading for him to possess an immense blood lust. Jian will stop at nothing to fin the Sacred Stone for revenge, even if it costs him being sealed away or killed. Jian's hatred leads for him to become enemies with the warriors of Wulin, even leading for many to be recruited to act against him. His ultimate goal is to restore his face and attain unlimited power, even if it costs his daughter's death. In the end however, his daughter is sacrificed, and he is finally defeated after a long battle against both Su Huan-Jen and Hsiao Hong-Chen.

Jian Wei: The sworn protector of Lord Jian. Jian Wei had served as Jian's protector even at a young age, and will continue to serve him even if he had became distorted of mind. However, Jian Wei still wishes for Lord Jian to return to his old self and will stop at nothing to see his true master's self again. Later within the story, Jian Wei runs away with Ru-Bing when he acquires the Sacred Stone, as to save Lord Jian from his ambition. Jian later catches up with Jian Wei and slays him without a second thought.

Technique

The techniques used in Legend of the Sacred Stone and the Pili TV series are glove puppetry, CG animation, and wires are sometimes used when characters are fighting to flip them around in the air. Unlike other hand puppets, budaixi puppets have legs.

DVD versions

There are two versions of the film on DVD - the uncut 120-minute version from Taiwan, which has no English subtitles, and the truncated 99-minute version from Japan, with English subtitles. The Japanese DVDs advertise a "129-minute" running time, but this includes the special features.

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.

Hiroshi Shimizu (director)

was a Japanese film director, known for his silent films with detailed depictions of Japanese society. He was a friend and colleague of Yasujiro Ozu.

His works include:

* ''Beyond the Pass''
* ''Mura no bokujo'' 1924
* ''Undying Pearl''
* ''Mori no kajiya'' 1929
* ''Parents''
* ''Ginga'' 1931
* ''Seven Seas''
* ''Nanatsu no umi: Kohen Teiso-hen'' 1932
* ''Jonetsu: Ra pashion'' 1931
* ''Manshu koshin-kyoku'' 1932
* ''Umi no oja'' 1932
* ''Japanese Girls at the Harbor''
* ''The Boss's Son Goes to College''
* ''Naki nureta haru no onnayo 1933''
* ''Eclipse''
* ''A Hero of Tokyo''
* ''Mr. Thank-you''
* ''Forget Love for Now''
* ''Children of the Wind''
* ''Star Athlete''
* ''Konjiki Yasha 1937''
* ''The Masseurs and a Woman''
* ''Katei nikki 1938''
* ''Four Seasons of Children''
* ''Seoul''
* ''Nobuko ''
* ''Ornamental Hairpin''
* ''Akatsuki no gassho''
* ''Notes of an Itinerant Performer''
* ''The Introspection Tower''
* ''Sayon's Bell''
* ''Victory Song''
* ''Children of the Beehive''
* ''Mr. Shosuke Ohara''
* ''A Mother's Love''
* ''Those later children of the Beehive''
* ''Children and the Great Buddha''
* ''The Shiinomi School''
* ''The Tale of Jir?''
* ''Kiri no oto'' 1956
* ''Dancing Girl''
* ''Image of a Mother''

Help Me Eros

Help Me, Eros is the second film from director Lee Kang-sheng, following his directorial debut in 2003, .

The film centers around the lives of three socially isolated characters - the newly-unemployed Ah Jie , the call center counsellor he depends on for support, Chyi , and one of the team of provocatively dressed girls employed in selling betel nuts and cigarettes to passing customers at a street kiosk below his apartment, Shin .

Title

The literal translation of the Taiwanese title is 'Help Me, God of Love', since Eros is an artefact of . The exclamation is a wry reference to the film's comically cynical perspective on human relationships, in which a wide variety of unlikely subjects - food, marijuana and , amongst others - become substitute objects of comfort and affection for the protagonists. The plea for help is also a strong theme in the form of the suicide hotline.

Plot

The film is set in modern Taipei, Taiwan. The infamous opening sequence depicts the protagonist lying on the designer sofa in his apartment watching a cookery segment on his TV, in which a carp is swiftly scaled, gutted, cooked and served alive, its mouth still slowly opening and closing.

Jie ambles around his almost bare apartment, cooking instant noodles, tending his treasured marijuana plants in their closet nursery and explaining his problems to counsellor Chyi on the suicide hotline. A former stockbroker, recently fired, he resorts to selling off his remaining designer furniture at a nearby pawn shop to maintain his paltry existence.

Chyi, the counsellor he compulsively requests from the hotline call center, is a young but overweight woman. Jie pleads with her over the line for more satisfying contact, but she is reluctant to accede. Jie fantasises about Chyi, idealising her as beautiful girl in a revealing novelty outfit pleasuring herself to the sound of his voice and exhaling the marijuana smoke he breathes onto the telephone handset. When she leaves work for her marital home she finds her husband in a frenzy of activity, preparing her an enormous gourmet meal. She eats alone whilst he watches TV with his conspiciously attractive friend, who he informs her will be staying with them for a while. He fills the bathtub with live eels whilst she sits watching in her underwear. She attempts to maneouvre her husband into sex, but he flinches away from her touch. Left alone in the bathroom, Chyi playfully pushes them around with her toes. Later in the evening, as she walks past the two of them playing pool on her way to the kitchen for a tub of ice cream, the camera pans to reveal that both of them men are naked from the waist down.

In the street kiosk below, the sit at a counter above street level and wait for customers. The newest employee, Shin, struggles to fit in with the more established girls. Jie pays her for cigarettes with an out-of-circulation coin and earns her a reprimand. One night, as she tries to extricate her scooter from the rank outside the building, Jie stops to assist her. In return he asks her to drive her somewhere.

They arrive at a used-car lot, and whilst Shin waits on the scooter Jie slips into the lot and opens one of the cars using a key he has brought with him, revealing it to be yet another piece of property he has given up since losing his job. He and Shin drive around the city, taking their own photograph using a speed camera, and eventually park up somewhere in the city for Jie to smoke a joint of his home-grown marijuana. He cups his hands around his and Shin's faces to allow her to breathe his exhaled smoke.

Abruptly, the couple are shown copulating in a number of extraordinarily acrobatic positions, most of which involve Jie suspending Shin completely in his arms. As they relax in bed afterwards, Jie at his laptop and Shin lying next to him, Chyi contacts Jie on MSN. Her personal image is of her and a pretty, far thinner co-worker who Jie assumes must be her. Chyi is too ashamed to deny it and plays along. The next day Jie waits outside the hotline office for the woman in the photo, who he follows around the city for a while. He mentions the details of her itinerary to Chyi when he next calls in, provoking confused denials.

At the street kiosk one of the more established girls, who has formed a more personal relationship with a regular client in an expensive car, leans in on the promise of another gift and the man attempts to drive off with her. She is dragged along the road for a few feet before she finally falls back to the street and the car speeds off. The other girls take her inside to console her, and Jie brings first her and then all of the betel nut girls copious amounts of his marijuana. This scene implies that his plants produce a powerful sexually intoxicating effect. Jie ends up on the roof of the apartment building in a languid threesome with two betel nut girls, as brand logos are projected across their entangled bodies from an unverifiable source.

The next morning Shin comes up to his apartment. He has asked her to bring water, and she has brought two small bottles of mineral water. She quickly realises that the apartment's water and power have been turned off due to his non-payment of his bills. She suggests that she helps him with the money, implying a furtherance of their relationship, and he stubbornly refuses to discuss it. He becomes aggressive with her, angry that she has misunderstood his request for water - he needs industrial quantities to keep his marijuana plants alive. Shin is outraged by his attitude and pulls his plants out of the cupboard, smashing the pots underfoot and trampling them into the floor with her patent leather boots.

Shin takes a bus back to a rural area where she works on a large plantation. Back at the apartment building, Jie appears remorseful and hangs around the kiosk, asking after her. When he begs one of the other girls to text Shin, she informs him that Shin doesn't want to speak to him. He sells the rest of his possessions, including his TV and sofa, and uses the proceeds to buy lottery tickets.

Jie calls the hotline and leaves a message for Chyi, who is eating at a roadside restaurant and watching the cookery programme that demonstrated the live carp preparation in the opening sequence of the film. It is her husband and his lover presenting it, on location at an ostrich farm. They are attempting to cook an ostrich egg omelette, but when they break the egg into the pan a dead baby ostrich is released into the hot oil. At the sight of this gruesome image, Chyi runs to the riverside to be sick. As she recovers, she receives a text from her office to say that Jie has called to say that he plans to kill himself. He has left an address and she hurries to his apartment building.

In his apartment, Jie attempts to kill himself by turning on the gas canister for his stove and lying on the floor. He awakes later, dazed but patently alive, to discover that the canister is empty. He opens the street-side windows and steps onto the windowsill as Chyi hurries up the stairs. Meanwhile, Shin returns and approaches the street kiosk.

Chyi bursts into the apartment to find it empty. Standing on the street below, Shin is suddenly covered in a shower of lottery tickets. Jie has apparently disappeared somewhere between the window and the street.

Awards

Help Me Eros was nominated for two 2008 Asian Film Awards in the categories of Best Cinematographer and Best Production Designer, and for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 2007. It won the Grand Prix Asturias award in the Gijón International Film Festival in the category of Best Feature.

Goodbye, Dragon Inn

Goodbye, Dragon Inn is a film directed by Tsai Ming-liang about the last feature at an historic Taipei .

''Goodbye, Dragon Inn'' is set in the approximately ninety minutes of the last feature at an old and grand Taipei cinema that is closing down, showing King Hu's 1967 sword-fighting classic ''Dragon Inn''. Only a few people are present in the cinema, and a variety of subplots are developed around them. Throughout the film, the ticket woman tries to find the projectionist, searching for him in order to present him with a steamed bun, yet they never meet. A young hustler wanders around the cinema in search of a homosexual encounter. A Japanese man tells him that the cinema is haunted, and there seems to be a certain amount of truth in that. An old man who was one of the actors who appeared in the original ''Dragon Inn'', watches the film with tears in his eyes. Outside the theatre he encounters an older man who had been watching the film with his grandson; this man also starred in the original film.

The film is shot with almost no camera movement, most shots lasting well over thirty seconds. There are only about a dozen of lines of dialogue, with a clear focus on the visual.

Cast

*Lee Kang-sheng as the projectionist
*Chen Shiang-chyi as the ticket woman
*Mitamura Kiyonobu as the Japanese tourist
*Chun Shih as himself
*Miao Tien as himself
*Chen Chao-jung as himself
*Yang Kuei-Mei as the peanut-eating woman

Goodbye South, Goodbye

Goodbye South, Goodbye is a 1996 film directed by Hou Hsiao-Hsien starring Hsi Hsiang, Hsu Kuei-Ying, Annie Shizuka Inoh, Jack Kao, Kao Ming, Lei Ming, Lien Pi-tung, Lim Giong, and Vicky Wei.

It was chosen along with '''' and ''Carlito's Way'' as the best film of the 1990s by ''Cahiers du Cinema''.