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The Uniform

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The Uniform
Theatrical poster
Traditional Chinese夜校女生
Directed byChuang Ching-shen
Screenplay byHsu Hui-fang
Wang Li-wen
Produced byDavid Tang
StarringBuffy Chen
Chloe Xiang
CinematographyChen Chi-wen
Edited byJohn Chin
Music bySing Wu
Production
company
Renaissance Films
Distributed byRenaissance Films
Release dates
Running time
110 minutes
CountryTaiwan
LanguageMandarin

The Uniform (Chinese: 夜校女生) is a 2024 Taiwanese drama film directed by Chuang Ching-shen and written by Hsu Hui-fang and Wang Li-wen. Starring Buffy Chen and Chloe Xiang, the film revolves around two girls in the day and night programs of the same school who fall in love with the same boy.

The film had its world premiere at the 29th Busan International Film Festival on 5 October 2024, and is scheduled for theatrical release in Taiwan on 29 January 2025.

Synopsis

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In 1997,[1] Ai underperforms on her high school entrance exam and reluctantly enrolls in the night program of the prestigious First Girl’s High School under her mother's pressure. As night students share classrooms with day students in their freshman year, Ai meets her deskmate, Min, who shares her interests. Although day students often feel superior to night students, Min reassures Ai that she is not an elitist. They quickly become best friends.

After Ai's father passes away, leaving the family in debt, they struggle financially, prompting Ai to work part-time at a table tennis coaching school on Sundays. Shortly after the semester begins, Ai meets Luke, a wealthy boy studying at another prestigious high school. Luke is new to table tennis, and Ai is assigned to teach him. The coach introduces Ai as a student of First Girl's High, and her impressive skills captivate Luke, who falls in love with her. One night, Min invites Ai to skip class to watch a basketball match. However, Ai injures herself sneaking off campus and is caught. Min then suggests they exchange spare uniforms to disguise themselves as students from the other program. Initially scared of getting caught, Ai's confidence grows after a few successful attempts.

Later, Min invites Ai to skip class again to introduce her to a boy she has fallen for. When they arrive, Ai, in a day uniform, discovers it is Luke. Min tells her she met Luke at cram school and invites Ai to join them. At the cram school, Min introduces Ai to Luke, claiming she is her classmate, and Luke reveals he remembers her from table tennis. The trio bonds and begins hanging out on holidays, with Luke increasingly interested in Ai. He starts visiting the table tennis school regularly, and they coincidentally play doubles in a match. They win, and the coach invites them to join a competition together, prompting them to practice weekly.

Luke asks Ai out on a date after school, prompting Ai to alter the class name sewn onto her day uniform to distinguish it from Min's. Min soon suspects that Luke is in love with Ai. Jealous, she suggests they visit Luke's mother's gallery to expose him. At the gallery, Min cues Ai when Luke's mother mentions the First Girl's High night program, hoping to provoke a reaction. Matters worsen when a university professor, whom Ai falsely claims is her research mentor, reveals she does not know Ai when Luke asks. With her identity exposed, Ai leaves to cry alone. The next day, Ai returns her day uniform to Min and quits her job at the table tennis school to avoid Luke. Compounding her troubles, Ai's mother discovers the academic reports Ai has been hiding for two years and realizes she has lied about her performance. This leads to an argument where Ai blames her mother for forcing her into night school.

Promoted to her third year, Ai bumps into Luke at the school's open day. Although Luke confesses his love for her regardless of her status, Ai insists they come from different worlds. During this time, Ai's uncle falls ill, prompting her mother to leave Taipei to visit him. When a massive earthquake strikes, causing widespread destruction, Ai rushes home to check on her sister. Finding her sister safe under a cupboard, Ai becomes emotional. When her mother returns, they reconcile. While cleaning up the destroyed classrooms, Ai finds a keychain that resembles Min's. Worried, she rushes to Min's class and discovers that Min is unharmed. The long-silent deskmates reconnect, with Min revealing that she is also a repeater and often feels lost in her uniform. Sharing their struggles, they bond once again.

Ai works hard to prepare for her university entrance exam and sees improvements in her grades. During the exam, she meets Luke at the venue, where he gives up his admission quota to take the exam, aiming to join her world. The two reconcile and exchange lucky charms. Finally, Ai receives a satisfying college offer and celebrates her 18th birthday with Min and Luke.

Cast

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  • Buffy Chen as Ai, a struggling high school student in the night program of a prestigious school[2]
  • Chloe Xiang as Min, a day student who shares a desk with Ai[2]
  • Yitai Chiu as Luke, an elite male student admired by both Ai and Min[2]
  • Chi Chin as Ai's mother[2][3]

Production

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In November 2021, a screenplay draft written by Hsu Hui-fang won the Excellent Screenplay Award in the 43rd Golden Harvest Awards [zh].[4][5] Documentary filmmaker Chuang Ching-shen joined the project after reading the screenplay and was mesmerized by the nostalgic vibes and the portrayal of academic challenges in the 1990s that he experienced in his adolescence.[6] The film is set against the backdrop of the 1999 Jiji earthquake, which Chuang had previously produced a documentary on.[6] The film was subsequently announced for development by Renaissance Films, with funding of NTD$10 million from the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development and NTD$3 million from the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government.[7]

Principal photography began in July 2023, with Buffy Chen spotted filming on Roosevelt Road in Taipei on 17 July.[8] Location shooting also took place at New Taipei City,[9] and filming wrapped in September.[10] In October, Chloe Xiang reportedly suffered from depression during the shoot, which caused urticaria and hair loss, necessitating hospitalization.[11][12] Distribution rights for Korea and Japan were sold during the Busan International Film Festival in October 2024, and a teaser was released in the same month.[13]

Release

[edit]

The Uniform premiered in the Teen Spirit, Teen Movie section at the 29th Busan International Film Festival on 5 October 2024, marking its world premiere,[14][15] followed by a screening at the 2024 Golden Horse Film Festival on 10 November.[16] The film is set to be theatrically released on 29 January 2025 in Taiwan.[17][18]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Nominee Result Ref.
2021 43rd Golden Harvest Awards [zh] Excellent Screenplay Award — Won [4]

References

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  1. ^ 朱祖儀 (26 October 2024). "《夜校女生》陳姸霏、邱以太演技被趙震雄肯定！她嚇呆：不可思議". Nownews (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d 許世穎 (25 October 2024). "互換「小綠綠」制服追愛！《夜校女生》連韓國影帝趙震雄都大讚". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  3. ^ 許世穎 (2 October 2024). "金馬61》《角頭》「蠍子哥」懷秋成最大遺珠！《破浪》劉主平入圍影后差一票". Liberty Times (in Chinese). Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  4. ^ a b "李心潔甘願隔離14天！金馬創投百萬首獎出爐　完整名單曝". SET News (in Chinese). 25 November 2021. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  5. ^ 王丹荷 (30 August 2021). "優良電影劇本公布入圍名單 38作品角逐總獎金454萬獎項". Youth Daily News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 6 August 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  6. ^ a b 廖禹揚 (10 October 2024). "「夜校女生」重現90年代台灣校園 釜山放映獲共鳴". Central News Agency (in Chinese). Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  7. ^ "臺北市政府文化局112年度第1期補助電影製作審查結果公告" (PDF). Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  8. ^ 熊景玉 (26 July 2023). "【獨家】【降齡裝JK】接棒王淨國民學姐　陳姸霏青澀小綠綠無違和". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  9. ^ "新北影視協拍中心赴釜山參展 盼提升國際能見度". Central News Agency (in Chinese). 8 October 2024. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
  10. ^ Chien, Ying-jou (4 September 2023). "從說故事姐姐成為說故事的人──專訪《查無此心》項婕如". Filmaholic (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 20 February 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  11. ^ 熊景玉 (18 October 2023). "項婕如爆不滿化妝師失控打人　柴智屏再澄清做出回應". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 24 October 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  12. ^ 陳怡伶 (17 October 2023). "台灣女星驚傳施暴！情緒失控「毆打化妝師」　火爆衝突內幕曝". TVBS News (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  13. ^ 譚麗敏 (25 October 2024). "愛情校園電影《夜校女生》發布前導預告！升學壓力引共鳴". United Daily News (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  14. ^ Frater, Patrick (19 August 2024). "Busan Festival Launches Youth Film Section Titled Teen Spirit, Teen Movie". Variety. Archived from the original on 23 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  15. ^ "夜校女生釜山首映 映後與觀眾交流". Yahoo! News (in Chinese). Central News Agency. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 11 October 2024.
  16. ^ 熊景玉 (25 October 2024). "金馬新人陳姸霏赴釜山影展擔任頒獎嘉賓　被偶像趙震雄一眼認出！驚喜直呼「太不可思議」". Mirror Media (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  17. ^ 王心妤 (25 October 2024). "「夜校女生」展開校園戀曲 韓影帝趙震雄也稱讚". Central News Agency (in Chinese). Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  18. ^ "2024 金馬影展 未來院線發行影片一覽表". Golden Horse Project Promotion (in Chinese). 23 October 2024. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
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