L’ATELIER DU FESTIVAL
FIRST PAGE TAIPEI
Directed by : Arvin CHEN
- Year of production : -1
- Country : United States Of America
- Length : 100 minutes
Synopsis
Kai's girlfriend has just left for Paris. Broken-hearted and stuck in Taipei, Kai has convinced himself that he'll never find happiness again unless he leaves too. When Brother Wei, a kindly neighbourhood gangster, offers to help Kai get to Paris in exchange for making a delivery, he immediately agrees. Unfortunately, everything falls apart on the night Kai is set to leave - there are several others after the delivery, including a wannabe gangster who kidnaps his best friend Gao, and an unstable police detective with romantic issues. Kai's world appears to be on the edge of collapse when he bumps into Susie, the plucky girl who works at the bookstore he frequents. Soon Kai and Susie are running across the city trying to rescue Gao in time while gradually falling for each other. Through their emerging romance, as well as other intersecting love stories, Taipei begins to reveal an unexpected beauty. By the morning, Kai finally sees that there is no need to go to Paris after all. He's already there.
Statement
"First page Taipei" is about finding the love and beauty in your surroundings instead of always looking elsewhere for happiness. The central concept of the story revolves around a young writer who attempts to leave Taipei for Paris (the western ideal of both City and Love) only to discover that all the excitement, inspiration, and romance he was longing for is already there. I've always been drawn to foreign films that deal with such universal themes while still providing the audience with the experience of a unique and captivating cinematic world - in this case, love-struck characters set against the night time landscape of Taipei. The language of the film also draws on this theme, combining the understated romance and beauty of Asian cinema with the more playful tone of the French New Wave.
Credits
Arvin CHEN - Director
Specifications
Language film :
Working budget:
1M €
Financing acquired:
2,5M €
Contacts
Production
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