What Time Is It There?
dir. Tsai Ming-liang · 2001
Life is a series of fleeting connections that highlight our loneliness and longing for meaning.
Feature
Cultural Dislocation
Mood
Contemplative / Melancholic
Look
minimalistic and atmospheric, long takes with a focus on urban landscapes
Structure
episodic with an emphasis on mood over plot
Plot
A street vendor with a grim home-life forges a connection with a young woman on her way to Paris.
Why watch
"What Time Is It There?" exquisitely captures the fleeting nature of human connections against the backdrop of urban isolation, inviting viewers to reflect on the spaces we inhabit and the time we share. Through Tsai Ming-liang's masterful direction, the film transforms the mundane into profound explorations of longing and solitude.
Talking points
- the impact of globalization on personal relationships
- the nature of loneliness in urban settings
- the use of time in storytelling
- the significance of place in emotional experiences
Cultural context
Taiwanese urban lifepostcolonial identityglobalization's impactcross-cultural interactions