你了解我的意思嗎?

(Taiwanese filmmaker Tsai Ming Liang was in town to promote his controversial film The Wayward Cloud. A report on the talk he gave last week at SHM)

In the 1-hour public talk at the Singapore History Museum, Tsai Mingliang’s candid discussion was frequently peppered with the phrase, “你了解我的意思嗎?” (Translated as, "Do you understand what I mean?")

Perhaps, it’s just a figure of speech. Perhaps, it really offers a glimpse into the psyche of a filmmaker who yearns to be understood. His works often depict characters having difficulties communicating with others and themselves, exploring existential issues through conflicts and alienation.

Mirroring that painful desire to communicate, the session seemed to be about a filmmaker trying to reach out and be understood. He seemed to have a constant urge to clarify misinterpretations of himself as a filmmaker. He reminded us that the general audience in Taiwan tends to avoid his productions because they feel that his films were made to cater to a foreign audience. He laboriously explained that he makes films for no one but himself - not for foreigners and not for the international accolade.

He told us that he is often questioned for his choice of long shots - five minutes of an empty theatre is a long time for movie-goers of our times. "I want the viewers to see the details, listen to the background sounds, and have ample time to feel the emotions of the characters," he explains.

"These days, everyone is into Hollywood films, with their big-budget, formulaic deliverance. To bring expectations that are honed by watching Hollywood flicks into the theatre each time one watches a movie is just selling oneself away. Letting others manipulate you as an audience. Audiences need to be nurtured. They need to want to be nurtured.

Why are feature films 90 minutes? Why must we have an ending song? Why must we even have music? Why must movies be about a story?" - Posted on behalf of LY

The Wayward Cloud opens this week at Orchard Cineleisure.