A master of contemplative cinema, Tsai Ming-Liang is the author of an abundant filmography that extends over three decades and bridges genres and formats. Born in Malaysia to a Chinese family, it was in Taiwan that he studied film and began his professional career. Today he is considered one of the greatest names in contemporary cinema, being celebrated for his meticulous handling of lighting and the passing of time.

Associated with Taiwan New Cinema — the movement led by filmmakers like Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang — from early on he stood out for his depictions of urban solitude tinged with eroticism and desire, and for the enduring collaborations he established with a group of actors (who often play the same recurring characters). Lee Kang-Sheng, a constant presence in his work, is notable for his penetrating, silent performances within famously minimalist plots, usually set in desolate city landscapes.

In 2013, the filmmaker announced that he would retire from making narrative films and, since then, has explored the potential of exhibition spaces in museums and galleries — Visage was the first film to be added to the collections at the Louvre. This hiatus from cinema was not, however, definitive, and in 2020 Tsai Ming-Liang returned to the big screen with the feature film Days.

In January and February, we present a full retrospective of his fiction works for cinema, as well as a selection of his short and feature films that move beyond the limits of genre.