Your Face

A meeting of two minimalists: the master of long shots, Tsai Ming-liang, and avant-garde Japanese composer Ryūichi Sakamoto. Presented at the festival in Venice, Your Faceinvolves 13 static close-ups of faces: of people encountered on the streets of Taipei and of actor Lee Kang-Sheng, a favorite of the director, who has appeared in all of his major films. Some of the protagonists remain silent, staring at the camera, while others give in to embarrassed laughter. And yet others decide to open up, to reveal their secrets and share stories. They trust the camera, which doesn’t denounce or expose them but instead offers an invitation. The director of The Wayward Cloud came up with the idea for this project after filming The Deserted, using virtual-reality technology, which, as he noted, doesn’t allow close-ups. In Your Face,Ming-liangfocuses on intimate contemplation: facial expressions, wrinkles, sadness and smiles. The discreet, atonal soundtrack is the perfect complement to this process.