Archive of films Millennium Mambo / Chie shi man po

Taiwan / France
2001, 105 min

Section: Horizons
Year: 2002

The attractive Vicky is torn between two men. Hao-hao uses her, allows himself to be supported by her and jealously checks her every move. Jack complicates his life in a different way, but their relationship has a better chance of surviving.

Synopsis

The attractive Vicky who works at a night club is torn between two men. The first, Hao-hao, not only allows himself to be supported by her but also follows her every move, both at home and at work. He checks her accounts, rummages through her bag and even sniffs her body to pick up traces of infidelity. Vicky is soon no longer able to stand this humiliation and runs away from him. Hao-hao finds her, however, and begs her to come home. The other man, Jack, with whom Vicky finds refuge, is trying out some business ventures. His willingness to help out anyone who needs it starts to complicate his life. Even so, the affinity between them might turn into a closer friendship….

About the director

Hou Hsiao Hsien (b. 1947) is a leading figure of the Taiwanese new wave. He was born in China and moved to Taiwan in 1948 where he studied at the National Academy of Arts. He had his debut as a director in 1980 and his third film, Green, Green Grass of Home (1981), was nominated for a Golden Horse, the Taiwanese equivalent of an Oscar. His next films earned him international recognition: The Boys from Fengkue (1983) and A Summer at Grandpa’s(1984) which won awards at the Festival of Three Continents in Nantes. His autobiographical film The Time to Live and the Time to Die(1985) won the Critics’ Prize at Berlin. Four years later A City of Sadness won the Golden Lion in Venice, and in Cannes he took away the Jury Prize for The Puppetmaster. Other films include Good Men, Good Women (l995), Goodbye South, Goodbye (l996) and Flowers of Shanghai (l998). Millennium Mambo was screened in competition at the Cannes IFF last year.

About the film

Black & white, 35 mm

Section:	Horizons

Director:	Hou Hsiao-hsien
Screenplay:	Chu Tien-wen
Dir. of Photography:	Mark Lee Ping-bing
Music:	Lim Giong, Yoshihiro Hanno
Editor:	Liao Ching-sung
Producer:	Hou Hsiao-hsien, Eric Heumann
Production:	3H Productions, Paradis Films, Orly Films
Cast:	Shu Qi, Jack Kao, Tuan Chun-hao, Takeuchi Ko, Niu Chen-er, Kao Kuo-guang, Chen Yi-hsuan, Jenny Tseng, Tramy Wat, Jo Jo Huang, Huang Hsiu, Pen Kang-yu, Chang Pro, Ting Chien-chung, Hsu Heui-ni