Tsai Ming-liang’s new film shortlisted for Venice and San Sebastian

Tsai Ming-liang's new film will first debut at the Venice Film Festival and will then be screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival.This is the 11th work in the “Walker” series, and it is also the first time the series is filmed in Spain.

Li Kangsheng continues to play “Wanderer”.Barefoot and wearing a red cassock, he walked slowly among the bay, sculptures and streets of San Sebastian.The report described him walking through La Concha Beach, stopping near the Chillida Museum, and facing the Comb of the Wind sculpture group, which was lapped by the waves.

Tsai Ming-liang started shooting this series in 2012.It always revolves around Li Kangsheng's almost static and slow pace, using the movement of his body in an unfamiliar city to feel the place and time.The director does not regard the series as a traditional drama or documentary, but rather values ​​its possibilities as an image form itself.

This trip to Spain came from a co-production opportunity.In order to find suitable scenes, Tsai Ming-liang went to San Sebastian twice to scout locations.He noticed the stone houses, abandoned mine tunnels, the sound of the waves, the ringing of church bells and the face of an elderly farmer in the Basque Country, which became elements of the film's observation of the city.

Tsai Ming-liang said that slowness is not just a matter of lens speed.For him, slowing down allows one to quietly observe a face, an object, or an event taking place.Li Kangsheng's red cassock, bald head and bare feet are particularly eye-catching in the streets and landscapes, making the light and shadow in the city and the rhythm of pedestrians easier to see.

“Walker” has previously visited Taipei, Hong Kong, Kuching, Malaysia, Marseille, France, Tokyo, Yilan Coast, Paris and Washington.Every time the location changes, Li Kangsheng's pace maintains a similar rhythm.Tsai Ming-liang regards this figure as a tool for reading the city, using him to observe the air and speed in different places.

Tsai Ming-liang and Lee Kang-sheng have collaborated for more than 30 years.The director said that long-term filming also recorded the changes in Li Kangsheng's body, appearance and skin with age.For the director, this long-term companionship makes the series more than just a formal experiment, but also leaves traces of an actor's real life time.

Tsai Ming-liang won the Golden Lion Award at Venice, but the new film is different from his earlier feature films.He said that he has never stopped making movies, but continues to look for what movies can express besides telling stories.The positioning of the series has therefore remained open, and there is no rush to settle on a single genre.

This time working with the Spanish team, Tsai Ming-liang did not change his shooting methods.He mentioned that in the past, he often put his long-term cooperation team from Taiwan with international staff and film students on the same project.This time he was particularly satisfied with the way the two photographers handled the picture.

The “Walker” series will continue.Tsai Ming-liang has received an invitation from the Quanzhou International Film Festival, and plans to shoot his next film in Quanzhou, South Korea.He did not set a clear end point for the series, only saying that he and Li Kangsheng would continue to create as long as they could.

This new film brings “Walker” to Spain for the first time, and also allows the long-term collaboration between Tsai Ming-liang and Lee Kang-sheng to appear again at the Venice and San Sebastian film festivals.San Sebastian is an important location for this Spanish filming. Lee Kang-sheng continues to play “Walker”. The image of him walking barefoot in a red cassock is still the most distinctive visual clue of the work. The subsequent release plan is still to be announced by the producer.