Here’s a heads-up for die-hard film buffs!  

From 2 to 13 March, the National Museum of Singapore will be presenting the complete works of Taiwan’s film visionary Edward Yang (杨德昌) in the retrospective, In His Time: The Films of Edward Yang (杨德昌回顾影展) as part of the National Museum Cinémathèque.        

Renowned for his ingenious reflections on the cultural state of and changes to the Taiwanese society through film, the amazing director went beyond cinematography limits to produce eight of the greatest films the world has ever seen.  In his time, he gave new life to the Taiwanese cinema.     

His works include:

• The Winter of 1905 (1905 年的冬天) (1981), Yang’s first venture into the filmmaking industry.  An infrequently-seen film project, Yang wrote the script and aided in film production.  The film revolves around a young artist trying to maintain his creative goals during the period of Russo-Japanese War and the formation of Revolution Alliance in China, and who became an influential figure of his generation.
• The omnibus film, In Our Time (光阴的故事) (1982) (commonly referred to as the film which started the Taiwanese New Wave), for which Yang wrote a short piece, Expectations, depicting the story of a young girl and her first love encounter, with references to a Western-influenced culture.
• That Day, on the Beach (海滩的一天) (1983), Yang’s debut film, during which he teamed up with Christopher Doyle.  Flashbacks are intricately woven into the plot, surpassing timelines.  The film illustrates the connection between choice and consequence, and the struggles of adulthood.  The production of the film eventually led to Doyle winning the Best Cinematography award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival in 1983.
• A Brighter Summer Day (牯岭街少年杀人事件) (1991), a film surveying the events which shaped Taiwan in the 1960s, and The Terrorizers (恐怖份子) (1986), a film delving into the negative emotions we impose on others in our daily lives.  These two films were restored in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

In addition to relishing in all eight films, fans can expect to glimpse parts of Yang’s last cinematic attempt, The Wind (追风) (2007), which Yang had worked on before his unfortunate demise in June 2007 due to colon cancer. 

Two documentaries, namely Farewell: Edward Yang (再见, 杨德昌) and Yi Yi – One on One with Edward Yang (一时无两: 一一现场实录), will be shown on the last day of the retrospective.  The latter documentary featuring footage of the making of Yang’s last film, Yi Yi (一一) (2000), was specially made for this retrospective.  In 2000, Yang received the Best Director award at Cannes for this film. 

The Museum has also invited Yang’s former work partners and personal friends as guests for dialogue sessions with the audience between screenings.  These special guests include Stan Lai, world-renowned theatre director, playwright and personal friend of Yang, and Peng Kaili, spouse of Yang.   

This event is the perfect opportunity for us to gain an insight into the Taiwanese society and experience the works of one of the most acclaimed Asian directors, the legendary Edward Yang.

Please visit www.nationalmuseum.sg for full details on In His Time: The Films of Edward Yang.   Tickets available on www.sistic.com.sg.

Tags: edward yang, Film, National Museum Cinémathèque, national museum of singapore, taiwanese films

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