"The Deserted (家在蘭若寺)" by Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮), which was nominated for the first-ever competition for films made in virtual reality at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in 2017, had its Tokyo premiere at ANB Tokyo in Roppongi on Feb. 11 and a total of 45 screenings will be taking place until Feb. 21.
Screening of this first Mandarin-speaking VR feature film in Japan was made possible through the joint efforts of Arts Commons Tokyo and the Taiwan Cultural Center of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO) in Japan.
The Taiwan Cultural Center indicated that the Ministry of Culture in recent years has actively assisted the cultural industry in the application of advanced technologies, to incorporate 5G and VR technologies in particular, and "The Deserted" is an exemplar of such efforts.
In order to circumvent the limits on transnational movement and cultural exchanges caused by the pandemic, precautionary measures have been taken during the screenings.
Director Tsai was invited to a virtual forum on Feb. 16 to talk with Japanese director Yuko Nakamura, a longtime follower of Tsai's works. Tsai provided a detailed account of the VR filmmaking process, explaining the differences between making VR movies and general movies and their respective challenges.
He also revealed his family background and childhood years in Malaysia. Brought up by his grandparents who were movie fans, Tsai came into contact with the world of movies as a young child and developed the interest since then.
Coming to Taiwan at the time when the political climate was changing for more relaxing and restrictions on freedom of expression were eased, he was exposed to art films from various countries, including those by Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu.
He added that Taiwan's open atmosphere has influenced his career direction, allowing him to create freely without being swayed by the market or box office.
Towards the end of the forum, Tsai noted that he has always been free to create ever since his debut film "Rebels of the Neon God (青少年哪吒)" in 1992, and has no regret in his career in filmmaking. With no plan to retire whatsoever, he said that he will persist in the endeavor.
The Taiwan Cultural Center in Tokyo has co-organized the "Theater Commons" project since 2017, together with Minato City FY2019 Minato Cooperation Project, Goethe-Institut Tokyo, the Embassy of France in Japan, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and Arts Commons Tokyo.
This year, the chosen theme was "Bodies in Incubation (孵化／潛伏的身體)," which revolves around VR and AR as the core of the experience. Representative artists from all over the world were invited to explore the possibility of expanding artistic expression in the post-pandemic era.