In Our Time

This 1982 portmanteau film is taken as the starting point of Taiwan New Cinema. Its four sections are by four directors: Tao Te-chen, Edward Yang, Ko I-chen and Chang Yi. Each is set in a different decade from the fifties to the eighties, with protagonists somewhere between childhood and young adulthood. The importance lies in the style. Until then Taiwanese cinema consisted largely of studio melodrama; these four shorts were made on real locations, in natural light, with non-professional performers. Edward Yang's section stands out as an announcement of the films he would make later. There is a difference in quality between the four, which is normal. What emerges overall is a cross-section of Taiwan's years of development told through everyday life. Who it's for: those curious about the origins of Taiwan New Cinema. Who it's not for: viewers expecting a single story; the sections do not connect and the tone keeps changing.