This Dystopian Future: A Conversation with Tsai Ming-liang

Taiwanese auteur Tsai Ming-liang discusses his prescient 1998 dystopian feature The Hole during a U.S. touring restoration in 35mm. The film depicts two isolated apartment dwellers navigating urban alienation, environmental decay, and a spreading viral outbreak by transcending despair through lip-synched musical sequences inspired by 1950s Hong Kong cinema, notably featuring Grace Chang. Originally commissioned for the Haut et Court ‘Millennium Project’ targeting French television, the full 95-minute cut premiered at Cannes, distinguishing itself within Tsai’s oeuvre through surprising romantic tenderness and formal accessibility. The interview examines the director’s conceptual development, childhood musical influences, recurring collaborator Lee Kang-sheng’s parallels to Tsai’s father figure, and the stylistic evolution marking this transitional period before his subsequent shift toward durational master-shot composition and gallery-based practice.

Original article published on MUBI Notebook — AI-generated summary. Visit the website to read the full article at the source.