Millennium Mambo: Experience Hou Hsiao-hsien's Iconic 2001 Taiwanese Cinema Masterpiece

This visually overwhelming film is a dream-like, neon journey through night-time Taipei, focusing on a headstrong barmaid caught between relationships and a gangster life. Driven by a pulsating electro soundtrack, it offers a stupefying haze of trance techno and scintillating images, reflecting the boredom of the Asian ‘Nothing Generation’.

Millennium Mambo, directed by Hou Hsiao-hsien, presents a visually stunning and dream-like exploration of Taipei at night. The film centers on Vicky, a headstrong barmaid played by Shu Qi, who navigates complicated relationships with a jealous boyfriend and a gangster. The narrative unfolds through a haze of trance techno music, lush slow-motion, and scintillating, iridescent images, capturing a sense of ennui and the experience of the Asian ‘Nothing Generation.’ For his return to feature films after the costume drama _Flowers of Shanghai_, Hou Hsiao-hsien reunited with his regular cinematographer, Mark Lee Ping-bin. The film features enchanting visual elements, including cigarettes depicted as orange flecks in the deep blue of the club where Vicky works. Here, she encounters a protective gangster with Buddhist tendencies, portrayed by Jack Kao. Shu Qi embodies Vicky with a distant, self-destructive aura, as if in a trance. The film's pulsating electronic music was highly acclaimed, earning an award for best sound design at the Cannes Film Festival in 2001. This screening is presented on 35mm from the Eye collection.

This movie contains scenes showing explicit sex and foul language. Persons under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. Specific ticketing details are not provided on this page, but visitors are directed to the general 'Plan your visit' section of the website.