Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang's highly anticipated film, "Abiding Nowhere," has been selected for the Berlinale Special section of the 74th Berlin International Film Festival. This marks Tsai Ming-Liang's return to Berlin after his feature film "Days" featured in the main competition in 2020. It is his sixth participation in the Berlinale since his debut with "Rebels of the Neon God" in 1992.
Tsai expressed his joy, saying, "I'm delighted that 'Abiding Nowhere' has been selected for the Berlinale Special. This is the second time the Walker Series has
entered Berlin; the first was in 2014 with 'Journey to the West' as the closing film of the Panorama section. The initial inspiration for making films in the Walker Series came from my 2011 stage play 'Only You.' In a monologue, Kang (Lee Kang-sheng) performed a slow walk that was both beautiful and powerful. Deeply moved, I decided to visualize this performance and designed the bald, red-robed, barefoot appearance for Kang, resembling an ascetic monk. The concept and spirit were inspired by Xuanzang, the great master who traveled thousands of miles during the Tang Dynasty to retrieve Buddhist scriptures. I wanted this modern version of Xuanzang to slowly traverse various parts of the world, with each location becoming a film. The plan was to make ten films in ten years or even more. We watch the Walker because he moves slowly, and in doing so, we also observe the world. The question is, is this world worth our careful scrutiny? The Walker series began in 2012 and has now surpassed ten years. I fulfilled the plan of making ten films, and the tenth film is here in Washington—a dream come true."
"Abiding Nowhere" is the tenth installment in Tsai Ming-liang's ongoing "Walker" series, which he began in 2012. The film was shot in Washington, D.C., featuring iconic locations such as the Washington Monument, Georgetown and Union Station. Commissioned by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art, the film is a significant work celebrating the museum's centennial anniversary. With strong support from Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, this collaborative effort represents the third jointly funded feature film produced by Public Television Service (PTS) and director Tsai Ming-liang, following "Days" (nominated for Best Film and Best Director at the Golden Horse Awards) and "Where" (the ninth film in the Walker series, shot in Paris, premiered at the Pompidou Center, and nominated for Best Documentary at the Golden Horse Awards).
The 74th Berlin International Film Festival will take place Feb. 15-25, 2024. Tsai Ming-liang, along with actors Lee Kang-sheng and Anong Houngheuangsy, will attend the world premiere of "Abiding Nowhere" in Berlin. The film will subsequently have its U.S. premiere at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. Stay tuned for further updates.
For more information, please visit: https://www.berlinale.de/en/programme/berlinale-programme.html?sort=1§ion_id=48&day_id=2023-12-20
For press inquiries, please contact the Producer Claude Wang: kumo924097@gmail.com
