30 Films you cannot miss at the 54th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2017 (Part 3)

By Asian Film Festival on October 31, 2017 • ( Leave a comment )

Here is the last part of our list of films you cannot miss at the 54th Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival 2017 that will take place from November 3rd – 24th, in Taipei (Taiwan).

The Great Buddha by Huang Hsin-yao – Taiwan | 2017 – 103 min.
Section: In Competition

Pickle works as night security guard at a statue factory. One day when the television in the control room is broken, Pickle and his colleague Belly Button watch the footage recorded on their boss’s dashcam, and accidentally discover the boss’s secret. It triggers a ridiculous chain reaction, and even the statue of Buddha is dragged into it.

Trailer:

The Receptionist by Jenny Lu – Taiwan | 2016 – 102 min.
Section: In Competition

Unable to find a job after graduation, Tina, a Taiwanese woman living in London, starts working in an illegal massage parlour as a receptionist. As she gradually comes to know the women in the parlour, she sees how they struggle to find a way to make their lives work, with violence and danger lurking in the background.

Schedule:
November 22nd, 2017 | Wednesday | IN89 Digital Cinemax 2 | 12:20 pm

Trailer:

The Village of no return by Chen Yu-hsun – Taiwan | 2017 – 116 min.
Section: In Competition

It is an unusual day for the remote and isolated Yu Wang Village. A mysterious Taoist priest brings a magical tool that can erase one’s memory. Since then, all the villagers have forgotten their past, living “happily ever after”, while the dangerous plot behind their back is just about to be unveiled…

Schedule:
November 10th, 2017 | Friday | IN89 Digital Cinemax 2 | 10:20 am

Trailer:

The Woman Who Left by Lav Diaz – Philippines | 2016 – 226 min.
Section: Windows on Asia

Horacia has spent the last 30 years in a women’s correctional facility. When another inmate confesses to the original crime, Horacia is released and seeks out her estranged family. While searching for her missing son, she discovers again her homeland – the Philippines of the late 1990s, only to realise that its inhabitants are terrorised by corruption and rampant kidnappings…

Trailer:

This is not what I expected! by Derek Hui – Hong Kong | 2017 – 106 min.
Section: In Competition

CEO Lu Jin checks into a hotel to conduct acquisition research. He is dissatisfied with everything he sees, but a last-minute dish whipped by sous chef Gu Shengnan blows his mind. The two are arch-enemies, but they share a mutual appreciation and love for fine cuisine. In the tug-of-war between contempt and fondness, which side will win?

Schedule:
November 21st, 2017 | Tuesday | IN89 Digital Cinemax 2 | 16:20 pm

Trailer:

Those Long Haired Nights by Gerard Calagui – Philippines | 2017 – 72 min.
Section: Window on Asia

In Manila, three transgender sex workers are the best of friends. Tuesday is a hopeless romantic looking for love in the wrong places. Amanda returns home to attend the christening of her ex-girlfriend’s son. Barbie looks to make more money through drug deals. It’s anything but a normal night as the trio chase their dreams…

Trailer:

Tokyo Idols by Kyoko Miyake – UK, Canada | 2017 – 90 min.
Section: Windows on Asia

Girl bands and their pop music permeate every moment of Japanese life. Following an aspiring pop singer and her fans, Tokyo Idols explores a cultural phenomenon driven by an obsession with young female sexuality, and the growing disconnect between men and women in hyper-modern societies.

Schedule:
November 6th, 2017 | Shin Kong Cinemas 2 | 19:10 pm
November 10th, 2017 | Shin Kong Cinemas 2 | 10:30 am

Trailer:

Walking Past the Future by Li Ruijun – China | 2017 – 128 min.
Section: Chinese Global Vision

Yaoting, the daughter of a couple of aging migrant workers, is coping with the harsh reality. Their dream of a better future is crumbling as China undergoes dramatic changes. Bearing a dim hope of providing her family a home of their own, she takes part in a series of highly-paid medical experiments with tragic consequences.

Trailer:

Who killed Cock Robin by Cheng Wei-hao – Taiwan | 2017 – 117 min.
Section: In Competition

Chi is an ambitious reporter. After he discovers that his second-hand BMW has ties to a hit-and-run accident nine years ago, he begins his search for the truth about the incident. When he finds that the sole survivor of the accident has disappeared, it becomes clear that the truth is more complicated than Chi could ever imagine…

Schedule:
November 20th, 2017 | Monday | Sin Kong Cinemas 1 | 11:30 am

Trailer:

Youth by Feng Xiaogang – China | 2017 – 134 min.
Section: In Competition

He Xiaoping is discriminated in the troupe because of a family scandal. Liu Feng has a crush on the lead solo Lin Dingding and gets expelled when he makes an unwelcomed advance on Lin. He Xiaoping is heartbroken because she is secretly in love with Liu Feng. Each member of the troupe learns a lesson in this coming-of-age story.

Trailer: