A retrospective featuring internationally celebrated director Tsai Ming-liang’s films kicks off March 13 at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art in Washington.
Set to show 19 films at screenings held in New York, Washington and Chicago, the series will open with acclaimed 1994 feature film “Vive L’Amour.” Tsai’s latest work, “Days,” winner of the prestigious Teddy Award at this year’s Berlin International Film Festival, is also among the exhibition’s offerings.
As one of the most renowned Second New Wave directors in Taiwan, Tsai is best known for his unreserved attitude toward thematic and cinematographic experimentation. Since 2013 he has shifted his focus to social realism, excelling in portraying feelings of alienation among urban populations and depicting loss and loneliness in a uniquely humorous style.
Tsai was born and raised in Malaysia before immigrating to Taiwan to study drama and cinema. His first full-length film, “Rebels of the Neon God,” garnered critical acclaim upon release in 1992. Subsequent productions have received numerous awards and featured in prominent film festivals both at home and abroad.
The retrospective exhibition is co-hosted by several organizations and agencies, including Taipei Cultural Center in New York, Taiwan Academy of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the U.S., the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art and Manhattan-based Museum of Modern Art. (TYT-E)
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