Official selection
2019 Busan International Film Festival - Midnight Passion, 2019 Golden Horse Awards, 2020 International Rotterdam Film Festival - Voices selection, 2020 Miami Film Festival - Competition, 2020 Fantasporto, Portugal - Special Jury Award / Oriental Express Selection , 2020 Cleveland International Film Festival - International Narrative Competition, 2020 Asian Pop-Up Cinema, Chicago USA, 2020 Hong Kong Film Awards - Best Asian Chinese Language Film (nominated)
Director
John Hsu
Writer
John Hsu, Fu Kai-Ling, Chien Shih-Keng
Cast
Gingle Wang, Tseng Chin-Hua, Fu Meng-Po, Cecilia Choi
Cinematographer
Chou Yi-Hsien
Composer
Lu Luming
contact
MandarinVision
We’re in Taiwan in 1962, during the time of the White Terror, and martial law is in force on the island. In this context of extreme repression, all ideas considered to be dissident are banned, and the culprits are tortured or executed. Tsuihua Secondary School is not an escape from oppression. Despite close surveillance by the military police, Professor Zhang runs an underground literary club where Wei and his fellow students learn about banned books and dream of freedom. While the teacher is appreciated by his students, young Fang is madly in love with him. The usually shy teenage girl living in a violent home manages to open up like a book in his presence. Then Zhang disappears. One night, Fang wakes up at her desk, but the school has changed. As she wanders through the sinister corridors and other dilapidated rooms in search of her teacher, she meets Wei. Together, they must confront the ghosts and deformed monsters that have taken over the school, to find out what happened there.
At once a shocking historical drama, a melancholy coming-of-age and a terrifying horror film, DETENTION was showered with awards at the Taipei Golden Horse Awards, and garnered praise at several festivals including Rotterdam, Busan, and Fantasporto, where it received the Special Jury Prize. Adapted from the eponymous video game, this masterful debut feature from director and co-writer John Hsu creates a whimsical metaphorical universe of a gruesome metaphorical fantasy from an untenable historical context reminiscent of PAN’S LABYRINTH. In addition, its striking sound effects, sinister art direction, disturbing special effects and copious blood also evoke SILENT HILL. With a compelling story and a touching performance by actress Gingle Wang, emotion meets terror in this nightmarish horror drama that will haunt you for a long time. Translation: Rupert Bottenberg
Showings
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