Easy narrative

Taiwan's best storyteller's new production is a 25-minute film that explores a middle-aged man's longings. The subject could be complicated, but director Wu Nien-jen (pictured below) is known for explaining complexity in an effortless narrative. In the short film A New Year, the Same Days, Wu focuses on the sitting room of an ordinary Taiwan family. He presents the gains and pains of a middle-aged man, who tries to re-organize his routine life after attending a friend's funeral. Sharp dialogue and seasoned Taiwan actors like Lo Pei-an and Lin Mei-shiu lead to a humorous twist at the end. Wu, also a renowned novelist and scriptwriter, worked with Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang frequently as writer and actor to create Taiwan New Cinema, which has produced milestones, such as A City of Sadness and Yi Yi: A One and a Two. The new film is available on Youku.com.

- Liu Wei