Following the popular New Taiwanese Cinema season last year, a new programme Taiwanese Cinema: Now and Then, supported by Ministry of Culture Taiwan will showcase classic and contemporary films from Taiwan throughout September at Garden Cinema . This season features iconic director-actor collaborations, martial arts classics, and recent debut features. Actor and filmmaker Lee Kang-sheng will participate in two Q&As, discussing his long-term collaboration with director Tsai Ming-liang, including their films Days (2020) and The River (1997). Lee will also lead a free masterclass at King’s College London, while Tsai joins via Zoom for a Q&A on his 2022 work Where.

The spotlight includes Hou Hsiao-hsien’s collaborations with actress Shu Qi, featuring Millennium Mambo (2001), Three Times (2005), and his wuxia masterpiece The Assassin (2015). King Hu’s A Touch of Zen (1970) is a highlight of classic kung-fu cinema. Recent films include Huang Hsin-yao’s satire The Great Buddha+ (2017), paired with his short The Great Buddha (2014). Huang will join an online Q&A after the screening. Other films exploring family, identity, and culture include Elvis Lu’s documentary A Holy Family (2022) and Fiona Roan’s coming-of-age story American Girl (2021).

Image source: Garden Cinema (https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/taiwanese-cinema-now-and-then/)

Image source: Garden Cinema (https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/taiwanese-cinema-now-and-then/)