Hill of No Return

The screening on 13 November will be introduced by Tom Cunliffe (UCL). New restoration.

Hill of No Return (1992) is the final chapter in Wang Toon’s celebrated ‘Modern Taiwan Trilogy’, preceded by Strawman (1987) and Banana Paradise (1989), which traces the lives of ordinary Taiwanese through the upheavals of Japanese colonial rule (1895-1945) and the early Kuomintang era. Written by renowned filmmaker and screenwriter Wu Nien-jen, the film received Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay at Golden Horse Awards.

In 1927, two brothers (Peng Chia-Chia, Huang Pin-Yuan) leave home after their parents’ death to work at Gold Toad Mountain, a Taiwanese gold mine controlled by the occupying Japanese army. Under its harsh reign, the town’s other main industries are prostitution and gold smuggling. One brother marries Ah-Jou (Kuei-Mei Yang), who has survived two husbands, while the other falls for prostitute Fumiko (Mayko Chen). As the Japanese keep searching workers for stolen gold, tensions rise.

Cast:
Yang Kuei-Mei, Huang Pin-Yuan, Peng Chia-Chia, Mayko Chen

Please arrive promptly - we do not show adverts.

Part of Made in Taiwan Wang Toon, Taiwan, 1992 , 176m.