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New York Film Festival to screen Hou Hsiao-hsien's classic 'Flowers of Shanghai'

  • Date:2020-09-17~2020-10-11
New York Film Festival to screen Hou Hsiao-hsien's classic 'Flowers of Shanghai'

Taiwanese prominent director Hou Hsiao-hsien's (侯孝賢) 1998 film "Flowers of Shanghai (海上花)" has been selected for the Revivals section – a category designated to showcase cinema's rich past – of the 58th New York Film Festival (NYFF) from Sept. 17 to Oct. 11, 2020.

Described by the New York Times as "Taiwan's greatest filmmaker," Hou rose to the top ranks of international directors with "Flowers of Shanghai," a masterly film that depicts life in the upscale brothel of 19th-century Shanghai.

Featuring Hong Kong cinema legends Tony Leung and Carina Lau, the 113-minute film won the jury award at the 35th Golden Horse Award in 1998 and was selected for screening of the 36th NYFF that same year. Hailed by the festival as "transfixing masterwork and an achingly, intoxicatingly sensuous landmark of '90s world cinema" -- "Flowers of Shanghai" will return this year in 4K digital restoration.

The internationally acclaimed director will be presented with the lifetime achievement award at the 57th Golden Horse Awards in November for his distinguished accomplishment in cinematic aesthetics and his dedication to passing on the heritage of cinematic arts, according to the executive committee of the prestigious awards.

NYFF's Revivals section "covers the '70s to the '90s, from Europe to Asia to the U.S., and features seminal works by Wong Kar Wai, Joyce Chopra, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Marie-Claude Treilhou, William Klein, Jia Zhangke and more, in outstanding restorations," the festival's website says.

In addition to Hou, viewers will be able to enjoy a cinematic work by another Taiwan-based director at the festival. Malaysian-Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming-liang's (蔡明亮) latest movie "Days," which tells a tale of modern loneliness and human connection, has been selected for NYFF's main lineup.

Since it was established in 1963, the New York Film Festival has highlighted celebrated cinematic works from around the globe. In addition to the Main Slate and Revivals selections, the festival includes Currents, Spotlight, and Talk.

'New York Film Festival'
Date: Sept. 17 – Oct, 11, 2020
Venue: In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, NYFF will go virtual or have its screenings held in drive-in theaters this year.
Site: https://www.filmlinc.org/about-nyff58/