Tsai Ming-liang facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tsai Ming-liang
蔡明亮
Tsai at the 2013 Tokyo Filmex
Born	(1957-10-27) 27 October 1957 (age 67) Kuching, Crown Colony of Sarawak (present-day Kuching, Malaysia)
Alma mater	Chinese Culture University (BA)
Occupation	Film director, screenwriter
Years active	1989–present
Awards	Venice Film Festival – Golden Lion 1994 – Vive L'Amour Grand Jury Prize 2013 – Stray Dogs Berlin Film Festival Silver Bear 1997 – The River Golden Horse Awards – Best Feature Film 1994 – Vive L'Amour Best Director 1994 – Vive L'Amour 2013 – Stray Dogs
Chinese name
Chinese	蔡明亮
Hanyu Pinyin	Cài Míngliàng

Tsai Ming-liang (Chinese: 蔡明亮; born 27 October 1957) is a famous filmmaker from Malaysia who works in Taiwan. He has written and directed many movies, including full-length films, short films, and TV shows. Tsai is known as one of the most famous "Second New Wave" directors in Taiwan's film history. His movies are loved around the world and have won many awards at film festivals. In 1994, he won the top prize, the Golden Lion, at the 51st Venice International Film Festival for his movie Vive L'Amour.

Early Life and Education

Tsai Ming-liang was born in Malaysia. His family is of Chinese descent. He spent his first 20 years in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. After that, he moved to Taipei, Taiwan. He said this move had a big effect on him. He feels he belongs to neither Taiwan nor Malaysia. He feels he can fit in anywhere but never truly belongs.

In 1982, Tsai finished his studies at the Drama and Cinema Department of the Chinese Culture University in Taiwan. After graduating, he worked as a producer for plays, a writer for movies, and a director for television in Hong Kong. From 1989 to 1991, he directed several TV movies. One of these, called Boys, starred Lee Kang-sheng. Lee later became a very important actor in many of Tsai's films.

Film Career

First Feature Films (1992–1998)

Tsai's first full-length movie was Rebels of the Neon God (1992). This film was about young people facing problems in Taipei. Lee Kang-sheng played the character Hsiao-Kang in this movie. Lee continued to appear in all of Tsai's full-length films until 2019.

Tsai's second full-length movie was Vive L'Amour (1994). It tells the story of three people who share an apartment without knowing each other. The movie is slow-paced and has very little talking. It explores feelings of being alone. These became common features in Tsai's movies. Vive L'Amour was highly praised and won the Golden Horse Awards for best picture and best director.

His next film was The River (1997). In this movie, a family deals with the son's neck pain. The family in The River is similar to the one in Rebels of the Neon God. The same three actors played the family members. The Hole (1998) is about two neighbors living in an apartment building. This movie includes several musical parts.

Later Works (1999–2009)

In 2001, Tsai released What Time Is It There?. This movie shows a man and a woman meeting in Taipei before the woman travels to Paris. This was the first movie where Chen Shiang-chyi starred alongside Lee. She appeared in several of his next films.

Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003) is about people inside an old movie theater that is about to close. For this film, Tsai used even longer shots and fewer lines of talking than in his earlier movies. This style continued in his later work.

Tsai's next film, I Don't Want to Sleep Alone (2006), was his first movie set in Malaysia. It features two different characters, both played by Lee. In 2007, the Malaysian Censorship Board first banned the film. They said it showed the country "in a bad light." However, they later allowed it to be shown after Tsai agreed to change some parts. Tsai's film Face (2009) is about a Taiwanese director who travels to France to make a movie.

Recent Films (2010–present)

Tsai (left) was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 2010 Busan International Film Festival.

Tsai's next full-length movie was Stray Dogs (2013). It tells the story of a family without a home.

During the 2010s, Tsai mostly focused on his "Walker" series of films (2012–2024). These films feature a monk, played by Lee, who travels by walking very slowly. He is often seen in busy places.

In 2020, Tsai released Days. This movie was shown at the Berlinale film festival and competed for the Golden Bear award. In 2021, Tsai released Wandering, a short film with no talking. It shows a woman visiting an art show of Tsai's "Walker" series in Taiwan.

In December 2024, Tsai is planned to visit Australia for the first time. He will take part in an "In Conversation" event at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in Brisbane. This event is part of a special look back at Tsai's work.

Awards and Recognition

Tsai has received many important awards. These include:

• The Golden Lion (best picture) for Vive L'Amour at the 51st Venice International Film Festival.
• The Silver Bear – Special Jury Prize for The River at the 47th Berlin International Film Festival.
• The FIPRESCI award for The Hole at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.
• The Alfred Bauer Prize and Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement for The Wayward Cloud at the 55th Berlin International Film Festival.
• The Grand Jury Prize at the 70th Venice International Film Festival for Stray Dogs.

In 1995, he was a judge at the 45th Berlin International Film Festival. In 2003, The Guardian newspaper listed Tsai as one of the top 40 best directors in the world. In 2014, the government of France honored him with the title of officer of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Personal Life

Since 2021, Tsai has lived in the mountains near Taipei. He fixes up and lives in old, empty apartments. He shares his living spaces with his long-time helper and friend, Lee Kang-sheng.

Filmography

Feature Films

"Walker" Series

Images for kids

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  Tsai at the 2013 Tokyo Filmex

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  Tsai (left) was named Asian Filmmaker of the Year at the 2010 Busan International Film Festival.

See also

In Spanish: Tsai Ming-liang para niños