Made in Taiwan — a Garden Cinema Retrospective

The Garden Cinema is delighted to present the fourth edition of our annual season dedicated to Taiwanese cinema — Made in Taiwan. Supported by the Ministry of Culture, Taiwan, this year’s programme continues to showcase the best of classic and contemporary works from the region.

At the heart of the season is a special focus on master cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing, who joins us in London for a selection of seven films from his remarkable career spanning five decades. Central to Lee’s career is his legendary collaboration with Hou Hsiao-hsien. Alongside the rarely screened Flight of the Red Balloon (2007), we revisit four masterpieces from past seasons: the hypnotic, neon-lit Millennium Mambo (2001), Hou’s autobiographical The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985), the sublime wuxia The Assassin (2015), and the ravishing lamplit Flowers of Shanghai (1998). Lee will take part in Q&As for the latter two titles, and present the UK premiere of the newly restored The Dull Ice Flower (1989). Additionally, King’s College London will welcome Lee for a free masterclass session examining his distinctive approach to cinematography and visual storytelling.

Lee’s cinematography is also represented in Strawman (1987), the first chapter of Wang Toon’s celebrated ‘Modern Taiwan Trilogy’. Together with Banana Paradise (1989) and Hill of No Return (1992), the trilogy traces ordinary Taiwanese lives through Japanese colonial rule, the upheavals of 1949, and the early Kuomintang era.

Taiwan’s colonial past is approached differently in Huang Ya-li’s award-winning documentary Le Moulin (2015), an evocative collage of archival footage, writings, and reenactment exploring surrealist-inspired poets in 1930s Taiwan. Huang will join us online for a post-screening Q&A.

On Halloween, we present Double Vision (2002), Chen Kuo-fu’s landmark collision of police procedural, Taoist mythology, and horror. To mark the 70th anniversary of Taiwanese-language cinema, a restoration of Hsin Chi’s Dangerous Youth (1969) brings its daring New Wave aesthetics and provocative portrait of desire and exploitation back to the screen. The beloved animation Grandma and Her Ghosts (1998) combines family life, folklore, and the supernatural. The film is screening from a new restoration, with a long-awaited sequel now in production. Together, they offer a glimpse into the breadth of Taiwan’s dynamic filmmaking.

Continuing the tradition of previous editions, we will again celebrate masters of Taiwanese cinema. Edward Yang’s Taipei Story (1985) will be screened in memory of the late critic and programmer Tony Rayns, Tsai Ming-liang reunites with his muse Lee Kang-sheng in the melancholic What Time Is It There? (2001), and King Hu’s newly restored Raining in the Mountain (1979) blends martial arts with Buddhist philosophy amid spectacular mountain landscapes.

Alongside Q&As, many screenings will feature expert introductions. Audiences are also welcome to join us for a Taiwanese-flavoured launch event (open to members only – scroll down for more details below) in partnership with Kung Fu Mama, and our Taiwan Cinema Night reception towards the end of the season.

UPCOMING SCREENINGS

Taiwanese nibbles, traditional drinks + The Dull Ice Flower — Sat 24 Oct 19:00

Raining in the Mountain — Sun 25 Oct 19:00

The Time to Live and the Time to Die — Mon 26 Oct 18:00, Sat 21 Nov 14:00

Millennium Mambo — Fri 30 Oct 18:15

Double Vision — Sat 31 Oct 20:30

What Time Is It There? — Wed 04 Nov 18:00, Sun 15 Nov 15:45

The Assassin + Q&A — Thu 05 Nov 14:30, Wed 02 Dec 17:30

Strawman — Sat 07 Nov 18:00, Wed 25 Nov 18:00

Banana Paradise — Sun 08 Nov 19:00, Fri 27 Nov 18:00

Taipei Story — Wed 11 Nov 18:00, Thu 12 Nov 18:00

Hill of No Return — Fri 13 Nov 20:00, Sun 06 Dec 16:00

Flight of the Red Balloon — Mon 16 Nov 18:00, Mon 30 Nov 17:30

Dangerous Youth — Wed 18 Nov 18:00

Le Moulin + Q&A — Sun 22 Nov 12:00

Grandma and Her Ghosts — Mon 23 Nov 18:00

Flowers of Shanghai + Taiwan night reception — Fri 04 Dec 17:30

The Dull Ice Flower [UK Premiere] — Sat 05 Dec 16:30

Find out more info or book your tickets on https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/made-in-taiwan/

📩 Get ESEA events in your inbox — subscribe to our free biweekly newsletter at novaesea.com/subscribe