Tsai Ming-Liang on 'Face'

NEW YORK, November 15, 2009 — Malaysian-born, Taiwan-based filmmaker Tsai Ming-Liang and his long-time collaborator, actor Lee Kang-Sheng, met with the audience after a preview screening of their new film Face (2009), part of Faces of Tsai Ming-Liang film series (November 13-21, 2009).

During discussions conducted by series curator La Frances Hui, Senior Program Officer of Cultural Programs, Asia Society, the director explained how the commission by the Musée du Louvre provided him with an opportunity to pair his favorite actor, Lee, with the legendary French actor Jean-Pierre Léaud. The similarities between Tsai's long-term collaboration with Lee and French New Wave auteur François Truffaut's collaboration with Léaud provide a striking parallel. The director described how capturing the changes on actors' faces over time gave him the inspiration to make films.

Watch the video above to view Face excerpts and Tsai Ming Liang's remarks.

Live on-stage conversations translated by Vincent Cheng.
Video subtitles translated by La Frances Hui.

Asia Society's Faces of Tsai Ming-Liang film series (November 13-21, 2009) was co-presented with Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York. The series was part of Citi Series on Asian Art and Culture, sponsored by the Citi Foundation. Additional support was provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

Face by Tsai Ming-Liang has been commissioned and coproduced by the Musée du Louvre as opus 1 of the new series "The Louvre Invites Filmmakers." The preview screening at the Asia Society was co-presented with the International Council of the Louvre.