EYE Film Institute Netherlands held a 14-film-strong retrospective on art house auteur Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮) from Jan. 10 through 30. The filmmaker and his longtime collaborator, actor Lee Kang-sheng (李康生), also made a special appearance in Amsterdam on Jan. 12.
Tsai noted that he has known Sandra Den Hamer, director of EYE Film Institute Netherlands, for 27 years. Their acquaintance began with "Viva L'Amour (愛情萬歲)" and continued on with "The Missing (不見)," which was directed by Lee and captured the 2004 Tiger Award at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) when Den Hamer was director of IFFR.
"I am fond of the number 27, it is the date when I was born," the director explained. "A lot has changed in [the past] 27 years, I even made a VR film, but there are also many constants, as I am still filming Xiao Kang," added Tsai, using his nickname for Lee.
Tsai's award-winning virtual-reality production "The Deserted (家在蘭若寺)" won particular notice in Amsterdam. Sylvie Pras, director of cinema at Centre Pompidou, called it her best VR experience so far, while Bero Beyer, current festival director of IFFR, praised Tsai for creating an immersive atmosphere that belies the film's runtime.
HTC VIVE Pro headsets and other new-generation accessories were used in this EYE retrospective, giving rise to a more optimized screening of "The Deserted" that pleased Tsai. The enhanced quality can also help audience members to better observe the expressive acting and intricate details that went into making the film, Lee added.
Produced by HTC and directed by Tsai, "The Deserted" features performances from Lee, Ivy Yin (尹馨), Lu Yi-ching (陸弈靜), and Chen Shiang-chyi (陳湘琪). It made its world debut at the 74th Venice Film Festival's newly launched VR segment in 2017, and has since been screened in international film circuits including Taiwan's Golden Horse Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.