“The Great Buddha+” will fly the flag for Taiwan at 2018 New Directors/New Films presented by Film Society of Lincoln Center and Museum of Modern Art March 28 to April 8 in New York.
The 104-minute dark comedy, which follows the exploits of a night security guard and a recyclables collector existing in a voyeuristic netherworld, is described by organizers as a “stylish, rip-roaring satire on class and corruption in contemporary Taiwanese society.”
Written and directed by Huang Hsin-yao, the feature swept the 2017 Golden Horse Awards, bagging five trophies for best adapted screenplay, cinematography, new director, original score and song. It also won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema, or NETPAC, Award at Toronto International Film Festival the same year.
The Golden Horse Awards—widely considered the Chinese-language Oscars—are among the oldest and most coveted honors for movie industry participants throughout the region.
According to Huang, the black-and-white movie is his first feature and capitalizes on the 20 years he spent as a documentary-maker. During this time, many opportunities to observe the diverse social conditions in Taiwan came to the fore, he said, adding that these helped make the film more relatable for audiences.
The movie will screen at MoMA and Walter Reade Theater in the Lincoln Center April 3 and 4, respectively, with Huang leading post-screening Q&A sessions on both days.
Previous pieces from Taiwan starring at ND/NF include “Murmur of Youth” by Lin Cheng-sheng in 1998, “Ah Chung” by Chang Tso-chi in 1997, “Vive l’Amour” by Tsai Ming-liang in 1995 and “A Summer at Grandpa’s” by Hou Hsiao-hsien in 1986.
The 47th annual ND/NF comprises 25 features and 10 shorts by filmmakers from around the world. It is one of the most highly anticipated cinema festivals in the Big Apple and renowned for showcasing new and emerging talents. (SFC-E)
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