27-28 October 2015, Dendy Opera Quays, Sydney
In collaboration with Sydney College of the Arts, we are delighted to invite you two events showcasing the work of Taiwanese directors Hou Hsiao-Hsieh and Chang Tso-Chi.
The Assassin
6.30pm, Tuesday, 27 October
Dendy Opera Quays (9/2 Circular Quay)
Hou Hsiao-Hsien is already regarded as one of the most influential filmmakers currently active in the world. His earliest films in the 1980s bore testament to his study of French and Italian models in particular. But his themes have since explored the complex issues around Taiwanese identity, and the political and historic narrative of the island during a time of deep and important transition when it was a developing from an authoritarian environment to one where there was a new openness, greater wealth and vibrant democracy. The Assassin is his first martial arts film, set in the ninth century Tang Dynasty during an immense uprising, and tells the story of a young woman whose abduction leads to her being trained as a killer. Winner of the Best Director award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, this film has received worldwide critical praise, with critic John Powers (NPR) calling it “Masterful. The Best Film of the Cannes Film Festival.’
Thanatos, Drunk
6.30pm, Wednesday, 28 October
Dendy Opera Quays (9/2 Circular Quay)
Chang Tso-chi was born in 1961 and began his film career in 1987. His works focus on people living at the edges in the society. His second film Darkness & Light received international acclaim as Best Feature Film at Tokyo IFF Grand Prix in 1999 and he has since received several film awards on his other works in Taiwan. The latest work Thanatos, Drunk 醉,生夢死 explores the sensitive topics of gay issues in Taiwan and won this year’s Taipei Film Award.
Please RSVP to Kalley Wu, Office of Global Engagement, at kalley.wu@sydney.edu.au. Tickets are free but will be issued on a first come, first served basis.