Missing is a film that must disappear from our sights.

Bu jian (2003) directed by Lee Kang Cheng

While attending film festivals, I make it a point to watch as many good,sensible,meaningful films possible.However there are certain occasions when I inadvertently end up watching bad films. My personal belief is that there are bad films and there are absolutely bad films which are eye sore. In a way bad films are not so bad because if all films were good than who in the world would go on to make a bad film. Watching an absolutely bad film is bad for a healthy mind as the ill effects of a bad film remain for a longer time.Missing directed by Lee Kang Sheng is such an absolutely bad film. It did not captivate the entire Makhmalbaf family who was also watching it with me. As a matter of fact mister Mohsen Makhmalbaf was seated in a row before mine. I can only make a wild guess at how much he must have suffered while watching this piece of nonsense.It is a different thing to act in a film and different thing to direct a film. Lee Kang Sheng got it wrong as his film is a bizarre attempt at garnering sympathy by portraying an old grand mother searching her young grand son. Makes no sense at all.

Excellent debut film from the master of Taiwanese cinema

All the Corners of the World (1989)(TV)

directed by Tsai Ming Liang

It is believed that the early works of masters of art leave their imprint on their later works.This is also the case with this charming, melodramatic feature made by Tsai Ming Liang.In this film,one can easily find a lot of common features linked to theater.This is because Tsai Ming Liang also wrote a lot of plays before he started his career as a filmmaker.The film is hard to classify as it has love story, family story and other popular elements in it.It also talks of the lack of space theme which is common to most of Tsai's films. The funny thing about this film is that it is very less seen. I got the lucky chance to see it at FEMIS, the French film school in Paris where Tsai Ming Liang came to present his film "The Wayward Cloud".The film is so good and it is a pity that its DVD is not released.

These watermelons are indeed very juicy.

Tian bian yi duo yun (2005) directed by Tsai Ming Liang.

To my mind "The Wayward Cloud" directed by Tsai Ming Liang is one of the most accessible films of the Taiwanese author.This is because the film's style is light as there is an overabundance of many mellifluous songs which fit well with
all the sometimes comic sometimes tragic situations in which they have been filmed.It is sure that while watching "The Wayward Cloud" viewers will definitely note that the director has continually sought the audience's participation at various stages of this film.He has done this by making a film which does not fit any conventional description.It is for the viewers to decide what this film really is as it is not at all an explicit film about pornography nor a film about sexual feelings.In reality,"The Wayward Cloud" is a film about the renewal process of old memories which were shared by two of the film's principal protagonists.The question of human sexuality just acts as a catalyst in this film.This fact is further justified in the last scene of the film which is a shot of supreme cinematographic judgment.

Made by Tsai Ming Liang for International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Tianqiao bu jianle (2002) directed by Tsai Ming Liang.

Most of the film makers are deeply in love with the cities where they reside,where they satisfy their creative instincts.To pay their homage to their respective cities they sometimes make short films about them. This film is also
an attempt by Tsai Ming Liang to understand his city better. He has chosen to film a river which passes through the ever growing,bustling metropolis of Taipei.The focus is on the dryness of the river due to the ill effects of heat.In the background there is a dog.Tsai decided to make this film after he got an invitation from Simon Field who is the former director of International Film Festival of Rotterdam.I saw this film at FEMIS, Paris which is a famous film school.This film has not been released on DVD and lucky ones can watch it along with a complete retrospective of Tsai Ming Liang's works.