"Mahjong" is like the "Edward Yang Universe" - Enjoy the connections

"Mahjong" Synopsis

Taipei, the capital of Taiwan, has undergone rapid economic growth and has become a multicultural city.

Redfish, Hong Kong, Toothpaste, and newcomer Lun Lun form a gang of four youths who gather in a "hideout" and live by the rule that they share everything. Under the command of their leader, Redfish, Hong Kong toys with women, while Toothpaste, nicknamed "Little Buddha," makes money by telling fake fortunes.

While they are drinking at the Hard Rock Cafe as usual, they meet a woman named Marthe from France who has come to Japan to pursue Marcus, a British designer. Redfish plans to make money by showing his gratitude to Marthe, while Lunrun secretly has feelings for her. When a yakuza who is trying to pressure Redfish's father to repay his debt mistakes Redfish for Lunrun, their relationship takes a major turn.

Index

• The remaining major films from the "Edward Yang Universe" are finally back in 4K restored versions!
• What did it inherit and develop from "A Brighter Summer Day" and "Edward Yang's Love Story"?
• "What do you want?" "Everyone is lost these days" -- Keywords that still resonate today

The remaining major films from the "Edward Yang Universe" are finally back in 4K restored versions!

The reputation and influence of Edward Yang (born 1947, died 2007), a legendary genius representing Taiwanese cinema, seems to have grown with time. He eventually won the Best Director award at the 53rd Cannes Film Festival for his final feature film, Yi Yi: A One and a Two... (2000), and it seemed as though he was on his way to becoming a world-class master. However, he soon began to struggle with illness, and passed away on June 29, 2007, at his home in Beverly Hills, California. He was just 59 years old.

He left behind a total of seven feature films. Many of them were long considered "lost masterpieces" due to rights issues (for example, " Yi Yi: A One and a Two... " remained unreleased in his home country of Taiwan until 2017!), but the wave of digital remastering has finally unleashed his incredibly rich filmography for the present day. First, in 2015, " The Terrorizers " (86) was screened in a remastered version. In 2016, " A Brighter Summer Day " (91) was restored in 4K, and after its premiere at the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival in October of the same year, it was released in theaters in Japan in 2017. At the same time, " Taipei Story " (85/starring his close friend Hou Hsiao-hsien, director of Taiwanese New Cinema!) was also restored in 4K. Following this, a 4K restored version of " Edward Yang's Love Story " (1994), which Ryusuke Hamaguchi, Sho Miyake, and Yukiko Sode have all publicly stated was a great influence on him, had its world premiere at the 2022 Venice International Film Festival, and was released in theaters in Japan the following year. In 2023, a major retrospective exhibition, "One-to-One Reconstruction," was held in Taiwan. He has now reached a level of popularity that surpasses that of his lifetime, and can be said to be a truly "active" cineaste.

"Mahjong" © Kailidoscope Pictures

Among the works of this premature filmmaker, Edward Yang, his sixth feature film, Couples (1996), has long been difficult to view (it is available on VHS and was released on DVD by Uplink in 2002, but has since gone out of print and become increasingly Mahjong!), and many have been waiting for a re-release. Finally, in 2023, it was restored in 4K by the Taiwanese film institute TFAI, and will be released in Japan on Friday, April 18, 2025. A long-awaited revival screening!

What did it inherit and develop from "A Brighter Summer Day" and "Edward Yang's Love Story"?