Directed by Tsai Ming-liang • Drama • With Lee Kang-Sheng; Yang Kuei-Mei • 1998 • 89 minutes
Set just prior to the start of the 21st century, this vaguely futuristic story follows two residents of a quickly crumbling building who refuse to leave their homes in spite of a virus that has forced the evacuation of the area. As rain pours down relentlessly, a single man is stuck with an unfinished plumbing job and a hole in his floor. This results in a very odd relationship with the woman who lives below him. Combining deadpan humor with an austere view of loneliness and a couple of unexpected musical numbers, Tsai Ming-Liang crafted one of the most original films of the 1990s. Produced for French television's 2000 Seen by... series, this was originally broadcast in a 69- minute version called Last Dance. This longer version is the director's preferred cut.
"The feelings that "The Hole" awakens will be recognizable to anyone, even if no one else could possibly have made it." —Los Angeles Times
"One of the ten best films of 1999...Tsai's most distilled, droll, deftly realized allegory." – J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Up Next in Across Asia
-
All About My Sisters
Directed by WANG Qiong • Documentary • 2021 • 175 minutes
In her debut film, director Qiong Wang builds a riveting portrait of her family reckoning with the lasting impact of China's one-child policy.
After giving birth to two daughters, Qiong's parents were desperate for a boy. When they learn...
-
Battle of Memories
Directed by Leste Chen • Drama • With Bo Huang, Jinglei Xu, Yihong Duan, Zishan Yang • 2017 • 120 minutes
When a famous writer (Huang Bo) decides to have his memories wiped to forget a divorce, he regrets it. Attempting to recover the memories, he becomes haunted by psychopathic thoughts, acting...
-
Only Cloud Knows
Directed by Xiaogang Feng • Drama • With Xuan Huang, Caiyu Yang, Fan Yu • 2019 • 132 minutes
After the death of his wife, a man decides to retrace their steps from the past, looking to reconnect with old friends and make right promises he made before her death.
"What could have been rather mour...
