THE BOYS FROM FENGKUEI

Taiwan | 1983 | 100 minutes | DCP | Mandarin and Taiwanese with English Subtitles

A group of rebellious teenage boys leave their remote island village for the bustling port city of Kaohsiung, where they contend with scam artists, unrequited love, and the rigors of life on their own. Hou Hsiao-hsien’s breakthrough feature set a number of milestones, including his first collaboration with renowned writer Chu Tien-wen, whose screenplay drew inspiration from Hou’s own adolescence. Developing Hou’s careful, naturalistic approach against the backdrop of Taiwan’s “economic miracle,” THE BOYS FROM FENGKUEI is a seminal work of Taiwanese cinema that confirmed the arrival of a major new talent.

New 4K restoration courtesy of CINEMATEK, Brussels

This screening is part of “Reality in Long Shots,” a retrospective of works by the pioneering Taiwanese writer-director Hou Hsiao-Hsien presented by Austin Asian American Film Festival and Austin Film Society. This event is made possible by the Ministry of Culture – Taiwan’s Spotlight Taiwan grant, with assistance from the Taiwan Academy of Houston. More information is available at https://www.austinfilm.org/series/reality-in-long-shots-a-hou-hsiao-hsien-retrospective/