Metrograph

Frequently approximating the point-of-view of its young protagonists, two siblings sent to stay with their grandfather in lush rural Taiwan while their hospitalized mother recuperates from a lingering illness, the first film in Hou’s coming-of-age trilogy (rounded out by Dust in the Wind and A Time to Live, a Time to Die), in spite of the air of wistful reminiscence suggested by its title, is a film that keenly recalls just how terrifying the world of adults can look when glimpsed by the curious eyes of children. The sun-dappled scenery of the countryside is enchanting, yes, but Hou is just as much concerned here with the things that lurk in the shadows…

Introduction by programmer Edo Choi on Sunday, December 21st