From his instrumental role in the emergence of taiwanese new wave cinema in the 1980s, his films have touched upon the humanity of life in. Every film is accompanied by an audiovisual essay by cristina alvarez lopez and adrian martin. Aug 27, 2008 2007 the electric princess house episode of to each his cinema chacun son cinama n. Hou hsiaohsiens the assassin is taiwans pick in foreign. He won the golden lion at the venice film festival in 1989 for his film a city of sadness 1989, and the best director award at the cannes film festival in 2015 for the assassin 2015. Arriving in the lobby of the park hyatt in busan, south korea, where his martialarts epic, the assassin, is. He won the golden lion at the venice film festival in 1989 for his film a city of sadness 1989, and the best. Perhaps his bestknown movie is flight of the red balloon. It tells the story of his whole family in those years as well. Hou hsiao hsien is the most important taiwanese filmmaker working today, and his sensuous, richly nuanced films reflect everything that is vigorous and genuine in contemporary film culture. Hou hsiaohsien master class video 2007 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Hou hsiaohsien archives senses of cinema film journal.
He studied at the best film school in taiwan, national taiwan university of arts where the best chinese film directors ang lee and hsiaohsien hou had learned filmmaking. Oct 20, 2015 i ts been seven years since the release of hou hsiaohsiens film flight of the red balloon, and the taiwanese auteur is finally back with his longgestated epic the assassin, which had its u. Hous films have always displayed some element of the mastershot style, but this is. Hou hsiaohsien white city cinema a film blog with a. Hous elegant, elliptical style of filmic storytelling lends a restrained beauty to an often overly robust genre, and accounts for the considerable acclaim his latest feature, the assassin 2015, is receiving on the festival and theatrical circuit. He won the golden lion at the venice film festival in 1989 for his film a city of sadness, and the best director award at the cannes film festival in 2015 for the assassin. Filmed and financed entirely in france, flight of the red balloon 2007 is the story. Hou hsiaohsien, pinyin hou xiaoxian, born april 8, 1947, meixian now meizhou, guangdong province, china, chineseborn taiwanese director known for his film explorations of taiwans history and family life, which emphasized realism through their subject matter and measured pace hou was born in mainland china, but his family fled the chinese civil war 194549 and settled. Someone unfamiliar with his work might look at a film like flowers of shanghai or three times, with their drawn. Hou hsiaohsiens first film in eight years was also his first foray into the wuxia genre. Of the ten films that hsiaohsien hou directed between 1980 and 1989, seven received best film or best director awards from prestigious international films festivals in venice, berlin, hawaii, and the festival of the three continents in nantes. Our publications cmia pairs major traveling retrospectives with a new series of monographic studies. We wrote about the film, enraptured, during the festival.
Hou hsiaohsiens hai shang hua flowers of shanghai, 1998 is a film constructed like no other. In 1997, french director olivier assayas directed a documentary about hou entitled hhh. Adolescence watch adolescence full movie hd free online watch adolescence fullmovie online. What is said and left unsaid in hou hsiaohsiens flowers of shanghai. Hou hsiaohsien on the films that changed his life the. Director hou hsiao hsien, in a 1988 new york film festival world critics poll, was voted one of three directors who would most likely shape cinema in the coming decades. A scene from hou hsiaohsiens dust in the wind 1986. The esoteric style of hou hsiao hsiens the assassin. The film won hou the best director prize in cannes and next will travel to. Oct 28, 2015 hou hsiaohsiens films are not known for their quick pace or frenetic movement. Also, the parisset flight of the red balloon 2007, inspired by albert.
Qi shu as nie yinniang in the taiwan, china and hong kong film, the assassin from hsiaohsien hou. He is a leading figure in world cinema and in taiwans new wave cinema movement. This is how hou hsiao hsien came to scout locations for the first time in paris. Forum resources hou hsiaohsien new films hou hsiaohsien box set recommended web resources the films of hou hsiaohsien article. The films of hsiaohsien, an international retrospective organized by richard i. The assassin, taiwanese master hou hsiaohsiens first film in eight years, was one of the most sublime revelations at the cannes film festival this may, where the film premiered and took home the best director prize. Six films by hou hsiaohsien is a selection from also like life. Theres also brecht on performance and a complete revision of that trusty. The films of hou hsiaohsien celebrates a taiwanese master. It is the reproduce of the 2008 hong kong published film book on hou hsiao hsien film master class. Back in early 2007, sarah silvermans jesus is magic prompted me to write this.
The first film in eight years from the taiwanese master hou hsiaohsien, the winner of the best director prize at cannes last year, is an immaculate treasure box of light, texture and movement. It has been 8 years since the great taiwanese filmmaker hou hsiaohsiens last feature the parisset flight of the red balloon, starring juliette binoche, but the assassin shows no lessening of his formidable artistic grip. Made in homage to the cinema of ozu, mckibbin argues that the film is far more than a simple tribute to the legacy of the japanese master. A discussion between director hou hsiaohsien, his screenwriter chu tienwen and director olivier assayas.
Lillian gish, met at uso in nyc, of course she was much older. Outwardly tranquil yet steeped in the political turbulence of the past century of taiwanese and larger chinese history, hou hsiaohsiens meditative cinema has received infuriatingly limited distribution in the west, but has enjoyed considerable exposure of late as a result of major retrospectives and the rapturous reception that greeted his wuxia epic the. The idea is to bring together contemporary artists, in this case world class filmmakers, and the museums impressionist or art nouveau treasures. Oct 16, 2015 the eye in question belongs to hou hsiao hsien, the taiwanese filmmaker whose work, over more than 30 years, is a catalog of visual beauty and formal innovation. He has extensive experiences in all aspects of both filmmaking and social movements. Masterclass with taiwanese director hou hsiaohsien and. See more ideas about hou hsiao hsien, film, cinema. Flowers of shanghai 1998, the first of hous film to be set outside taiwan, adapted from han bangqings sing song girls, a novel some consider the greatest work of nineteenthcentury chinese fiction, consists of only forty shots, none of which are exteriors even though the book itself is much concerned with the texture of china. In the accompanying booklet tom paulus university of antwerp comes back on.
Combining martial arts wu and honour xia, cinematic adaptations of the magicalrealist tales of this genre not only ensure high boxoffice returns, but symbolise in. Hou hsiaohsiens films are not known for their quick pace or frenetic movement. With the assassin, he joins other toptier auteurs like john woo, wong kar wai, ang lee, zhang yimou, and jia zhangke in revisiting the chinese tradition of swordplay and knighterrantry, popularised in the cinema by king hu with classics like dragon gate inn 1967 and a touch of zen 1971. Editions in bold are good quality, all others are weak or have specific problems. Sep 10, 2015 taiwan has gone with master filmmaker hou hsiaohsiens the assassin. I ts been seven years since the release of hou hsiaohsiens film flight of the red balloon, and the taiwanese auteur is finally back with his longgestated epic the assassin, which had its u. Suchenski director, center for moving image arts at bard college, in collaboration with the taipei cultural center, the taiwan film institute, and the ministry of culture of the republic of china taiwan. Hou was voted director of the decade for the 1990s in a poll of american and in.
Released in conjunction with a comprehensive retrospective. In a 1988 worldwide critics poll, hou was championed as one of the three directors most crucial to the. It is the reproduce of the 2008 hong kong published film book on hou hsiaohsien film. B eginning with his 1980 debut film, cute girl, taiwanese master hou hsiaohsien has maintained a steady filmmaking tempo across three decades, averaging almost exactly two films every three years. Hou hsiaohsiens most acclaimed film, three times 2005, brings him back to overtly political filmmaking after a hiatus of, arguably, four films.
Columbia university press, 2014 has been published through a partnership between the austrian film museum and columbia university press. Other highly regarded works of his include the puppetmaster and flowers of shanghai. Taiwan has gone with master filmmaker hou hsiaohsiens the assassin. Six films by hou hsiaohsien gene siskel film center. Of the ten films that hsiaohsien hou directed between 1980 and 1989, seven received best film or best director awards. Apart from directing, hou also served as production manager for the landmark mainland chinese film raise the red lantern 1991 and acted in edward yangs taipei story 1985. Hou hsiao hsien an interview with the cannes winning director on. The boys from fengkuei was restored with help from the film foundation world cinema project. Also, the wuxia pian genre, translated as martial chivalry, happens to be very close to hous heart, as he grew up. Hou hsiaohsien is the most important taiwanese filmmaker working today, and his sensuous, richly nuanced films reflect everything that is vigorous and genuine in contemporary film culture. The puppetmaster is a 1993 taiwanese film directed by hou hsiao hsien. Oct 21, 2015 if there is such a thing as casual gravitas, then hou hsiaohsien embodies it. Between 2007 s flight of the red balloon and this years the assassin, which earned hou the directing prize at the cannes film festival, the eightyear wait between feature films felt unusual. Since then it became a long seller book which has been sold for more than ten years.
Directed by hou hsiaohsien this movie is produced in taiwan. Had the previously prolific hou, like so many other brilliant minds, been ground underfoot by an increasingly. Hou hsiaohsien biography, movie highlights and photos. The inaugural chineselanguage film festival ireland debuts this year with. Upgrade to a letterboxd pro account to add your favorite services to this listincluding any service and country pair listed on justwatchand to enable oneclick filtering by all your favorites. His theatrical feature film the rakugo movie 2012 is his master piece and best seller. Someone unfamiliar with his work might look at a film like flowers of. Winning him the best director award at cannes earlier this year, the assassin is an awe. The puppetmaster is a 1993 taiwanese film directed by hou hsiaohsien. Hou hsiao hsien films offer a generous store of images and feelings that lavishly reward time and patience.
The best film playing this years chicago international film festival, and arguably the best film to play anywhere in chicago in 2015 period, is the assassin, the latest masterpiece from taiwanese director hou hsiaohsien a city of sadness. If there is such a thing as casual gravitas, then hou hsiaohsien embodies it. Hou hsiaohsien active 1980 2015 born sep 8, 1947 in guangdong province, china genres drama overview v. Chinese film school students and the professors from the greater china region gathered together at hong kong baptist university to discuss the many serious film issues in the region. Chinese film school students and the professors from the greater china region gathered together.
Together with edward yang, wan jen, chang yi, and ko ichen, hou was in the vanguard of the taiwanese new wave. The puppetmaster film the puppetmaster is a 1993 taiwanese film directed by hou hsiaohsien. The films of hou hsiaohsien part 22 the seventh art. Chinaborn taiwanese film director, screenwriter, and actor. The film won hou the best director prize in cannes and next will travel to toronto, the new york film festival and fantastic. Sep 21, 2015 a discussion between director hou hsiao hsien, his screenwriter chu tienwen and director olivier assayas. Apr 19, 2017 the idea is to bring together contemporary artists, in this case world class filmmakers, and the museums impressionist or art nouveau treasures. When you think of chinese films, you are probably thinking of wuxia ancient and mythic stories that have given rise to ang lees crouching tiger, hidden dragon, zhang yimous hero and the grandmaster by wong karwai. Based on the memoirs of li tianlu, taiwans most celebrated puppeteer, this story covers the years from lis birth in 1909 to the end of japans fiftyyear occupation of taiwan in 1945 many consider the puppetmaster a masterpiece of world cinema. Divided into three segments set in 1911, 1966 and 2005 in kaohsiung, dadaocheng and taipei respectively three times seems like a distillation of three of the directors earlier films. Based on the memoirs of li tianlu, taiwans most celebrated puppeteer, this story covers the years from lis birth in 1909 to the end of japans fiftyyear occupation of taiwan in 1945.
Hou hsiaohsiens films include raise the red lantern, a city of sadness, millennium mambo, three times. Olivier assayas and hou hsiaohsien at the master class held at the royal film archive of belgium. Interview with hou hsiaohsien of the assassin movie. In 2000, a north american poll of critics and curators named hou hsiaohsien and abbas kiarostami as the most important filmmakers of the 90s, echoing acclaim. Of the ten films that hsiao hsien hou directed between 1980 and 1989, seven received best film or best director awards from prestigious international films festivals in venice, berlin, hawaii, and the festival of the three continents in nantes. He has since become one of the most respected, influential directors working in cinema today. Sep 19, 2014 a scene from hou hsiaohsiens dust in the wind 1986. His master piece short horror film won the best foreign short, roger corman award at the largest horror film festival, fright night film festival in usa in 2012. Olivier assayas and hou hsiao hsien at the master class held at the royal film archive of belgium. Anyone familiar with the films of acclaimed taiwanese filmmaker hou hsiaohsien may be surprised that his new film is a martial arts movie. By combining multiple forms of tradition with a uniquely cinematic approach to space and time, hou has created a body of work that, through its stylistic. Borrowed life follows a workingclass taiwanese family from the.
Bard college publications of the current season of the. It is a film that is both young and lively and mature and tempered, as only a master looking. The flight of the red balloon 2007 might just be hous greatest. In may 2018, the mainland china publisher new star press released his cowritten book dust in the wind. Hou hsiaohsiens most acclaimed film, three times 2005, brings him back to. Upgrade to a letterboxd pro account to add your favorite services to this listincluding any service and country pair listed on justwatchand to enable oneclick filtering by all your favorites powered by justwatch. See more ideas about hou hsiao hsien, film and cinema. Apr 04, 2020 hou hsiaohsien, chineseborn taiwanese director known for his film explorations of taiwans history and family life, which emphasized realism through their subject matter and measured pace. Hou hsiaohsien master class video 2007 plot summary. Hou hsiaohsien is a taiwanese film director, screenwriter, producer and actor.
Subscribe to senses of cinema to receive news of our latest cinema journal. Once praised by jia as the genius narrator passing down the memories of a nation through films, hou hsiaohsien, at age 68, has made his first wuxia film. In the accompanying booklet tom paulus university of antwerp comes back on the early days of hou hsiaohsiens career. The eye in question belongs to hou hsiaohsien, the taiwanese filmmaker whose work, over more than 30 years, is a catalog of visual beauty and formal innovation. Hou hsiaohsien master class video 2007 plot summary imdb. Between 2007 s flight of the red balloon and this years the assassin, which earned hou the directing prize at the cannes film festival, the eightyear wait between feature films felt unusualand, for many, almost unbearable. In which, he dedicated to the series of lectures and conversations with hsiao hsien hou and representatives of film schools in the greater china region. Hou s films have always displayed some element of the master shot style, but this is. Oprahs master class is an unprecedented look into the minds of modern masters making a unique impact on the world and the lessons theyve learned along the way. Your best bet for the second week is the assassin by taiwanese master hou hsiaohsien. He is a leading figure in world cinema and in taiwan s new wave cinema movement, an auteur. Hou hsiaohsien takes a detour into martial arts a scene from hou hsiaohsiens martial arts film the assassin, which will have its premiere at cannes.