Athens International Film Festival
aiff
 

Journey to the West

North-Korean Tsai Ming-liang always has a way of making film teeter on the edge. Only difference is, he does it effortlessly and the challenge he presents is anything but obvious, hideous and commercial.

North-Korean Tsai Ming-liang always has a way of making film teeter on the edge. Only difference is, he does it effortlessly and the challenge he presents is anything but obvious, hideous and commercial.

It's a trippy combination of his undisputed genius, the boundaries between fiction and reality and the audience's willingness to let go.

And this one-hour long documentary does exactly that. Inspired by the story of Xuanzang, a 7th Century Buddhist, Tsai Mingliang creates a poem in 14 impeccable shots with Kang-sheng Lee in a red Buddhist robe discovering the Western world and Denis Lavant, Leos Carax' legendary leading man, as his disciple.

Sanctity and vulgarity are sometimes too close for comfort, just like cinema can be innocent and blasphemous at the same time. T.Th.


journey to the west / ταξίδι στη δύση - trailer από NyxtesPremieras

Πρωτότυπος τίτλος / Original title
Xi You

Σκηνοθεσία / Director
Ming-liang Tsai

Σενάριο / Screenwriter
Ming-liang Tsai

Φωτογραφία / DoP
Antoine Héberlé

Μουσική / Music
Sébastien Mauro

Μοντάζ / Editor
Chen-Ching Lei

Ηθοποιοί / Principal Cast
Kang-sheng Lee, Denis Lavant

Γαλλία, Ταϊβάν / France, Taiwan
2014
Εγχρωμο / Color
DCP
56'
Μανδαρινικά / Mandarin



    Publication date: 2014-09-10 12:30:00