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Festival 2024
The River (河流)
Taiwan, 1997

Feature
Directed by
Tsai Ming-Liang
Running time
115 mins
Feature

In director Tsai Ming-Liang’s shockingly subversive family drama, Hsiao-Kang gets roped into participating in a film shoot, in which he plays a dead body floating in the Tamsui River in Taipei. But the polluted, dirty water provokes a health crisis, as Hsiao-Kang is suddenly struck by debilitating neck pain. His concerned parents attempt various ways of alleviating his discomfort, but to no avail and soon, the son’s misery causes the troubled family unit to further disintegrate. Unveiling domestic secrets and repressed emotions, this uncomfortable work of slow cinema offers a sly, queer critique of the nuclear family and the values it represents. Shot in Tsai’s signature minimalist style and starring his muse Lee Kang-Sheng, this controversial work repelled some audiences and confirmed the director’s place as a uniquely rebellious voice in queer cinema. 


Tickets


20 April 2024, 6:00 PM
Past Event
ICA 
11 September 2024, 5:30 PM
Past Event
The Garden Cinema 
25 September 2024, 8:15 PM
Past Event
Exeter Phoenix 
29 September 2024, 3:00 PM
Past Event
The Garden Cinema 
29 September 2024, 6:00 PM
Past Event
Cube Cinema 
18 October 2024, 6:30 PM
Past Event
Cameo Picturehouse 
9 November 2024, 8:00 PM
Past Event
Pictureville Cinema 
10 November 2024, 5:30 PM
Past Event
Arts Picturehouse 
17 November 2024, 2:00 PM
Past Event
Hyde Park Picture House 
19 November 2024, 8:15 PM
Past Event
Tyneside Cinema 
21 November 2024, 6:00 PM
Past Event
Showroom Sheffield 
27 November 2024, 8:00 PM
Past Event
Gulbenkian Arts Centre 

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Director Bio



Tsai Ming-Liang is a Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker, widely considered one of the greatest living directors. His films have won numerous awards including at the Cannes, Berlin and Venice film festivals. 

Additional info



With support from the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute.

Trailer