Taiwan, 2005, 112 min., 35mm
Los Angeles premiere
"In drought-stricken Taipei, the feverish, sensual and emotional journey of a two-bit porn actor (Lee Kang-sheng, Tsai’s muse) and a young woman (Chen Shiang-chyi) toward an unexpected amour fou unfolds against a droll and surreal background. This is ”the most audacious film to date from visionary director Tsai Ming-liang… As in The Hole (1998), he adds campy musical numbers into the narrative that play against the raw sex scenes, creating a bizarre, existential chaos… His stationary camera perfectly illustrates the isolation and exploitation the characters are trapped in. They are indeed wayward clouds, drifting through life without purpose, in a world without water. And prepare yourself for the film's unbelievable final scene, which manages to be both weirdly erotic and profoundly disturbing.” (San Francisco International Film Festival).