Arquivo

A melancholic ode to ancient cinemas, those built for one thousand people that practically do not exist today. On the last day before an old cinema in Taipei closes down, a young Japanese braves torrential rain to be there. The film Dragon Inn (1967) directed by King Hu, a classic in martial arts, is being shown. There are few people in the building other than a lame cleaning woman, an indifferent projector operator, and the box office attendant. In the audience, other than veteran actors from the film, are a majority of gay men looking for anonymous sex with call girls. As is usual in Mian-liang cinema, the characters can never communicate or express their desires and anguish. All of the favorite actors of the director are in the film: Chen Shiang-chyi (The River), Yang Kuei-mei (Vive L’Amour and The Hole) and Mio Tien who plays the father in all of them, and is here in the part of the warrior dragon and an old gay.