The Hole (1998 film)
| The Hole | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Tsai Ming-liang |
| Written by | Tsai Ming-liang Yang Pi-ying |
| Produced by | Cheng Su-ming Chiu Shun-Ching Jiang Feng-Chyt |
| Starring | Yang Kuei-Mei Lee Kang-sheng |
| Music by | Grace Chang |
| Distributed by | Fox Lorber |
Release date |
|
Running time | 95 minutes 69 minutes (Taiwan) |
| Country | Taiwan |
| Languages | Mandarin Taiwanese |
The Hole (Chinese: 洞), also known as The Last Dance, is a 1998 drama-musical film directed by Tsai Ming-liang. It stars Yang Kuei-Mei and Lee Kang-sheng.
Plot
A strange disease hits Taiwan just before the turn of the new millennium. Despite evacuation orders, tenants of a rundown apartment building stay put, including shop owner Hsiao-Kang (Kang-sheng Lee).
One day, a plumber arrives at Hsiao-Kang's apartment to check the pipes. He drills a small hole into the floor, which comes down through the ceiling of the woman downstairs (Kuei-Mei Yang). The hole never gets repaired, creating tension between the two residents.
Cast
- Yang Kuei-Mei - the woman downstairs
- Lee Kang-sheng - the man upstairs
- Miao Tien - the customer at market
- Tong Hsiang-Chu - the plumber
- Lin Hui-Chin - a neighbor
- Lin Kun-huei - the kid
Production
The film was made for the 2000, Seen By... project,[1] initiated by the French company Hout et Court to produce films depicting the approaching turn of the millennium seen from the perspectives of 10 different countries.[2]
Reception
The Hole was entered into the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.[3] It was nominated for the Golden Palm award and won the FIPRESCI Prize (competition) "for its daring combination of realism and apocalyptic vision, desperation and joy, austerity and glamour." It also won three Silver Screen Awards at the Singapore International Film Festival - for best Asian feature film, best Asian director, and best Asian actress.
The film has an 80% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.[4]
References
- ^ "The Hole," Haut et Court, URL accessed 15 August 2016.
- ^ Yoram Allon, Del Cullen, Hannah Patterson, Contemporary North American Film Directors: A Wallflower Critical Guide, Wallflower Press, 2002, p. 367.
- ^ "Festival de Cannes: The Hole". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-09-29.
- ^ Rotten Tomatoes: The Hole