Taipei Story (Taiwan, 1985)

Lung, a former member of the national Little League team and now operator of an old-style fabric business, is never able to shake a longing for his past glory. One day he runs into a former teammate who is now a struggling cab driver. The two talk about old times and they are struck by a sense of loss. Lung is living with his old childhood sweetheart Ah-chin, a westernized professional woman who grew up in a traditional family. Although they live together, Ah-chin is always weary of Lung's past liaison with another girl.

Hsiao-Hsien Hou, director of films such as The Assassin (2015) and Café Lumière (2003), stars in this gorgeous film made by the late Edward Yang (Yi Yi) which lay bare a not-so-perfect relationship between two people in their thirties. Yang is a master at portraying the emotional weight the lovers carry, and making the characters speak without words. We also get the chance to revel in his beautiful cinematography which is a constant reminder of his ability to look at people, urban landscapes and the smallest but most intimate moments.

Genre: Drama

A Brighter Summer Day (Taiwan, 1991)

A boy experiences first love, friendships and injustices growing up in 1960s Taiwan.

A four hour long movie, directed by Edward Yang who also made my favorite movie of all time, Yi Yi (2000). A Brighter Summer Day is based on a real incident that happened in the 60's when Edward was only 13 years old, an event that later got the name "The Murder Incident of the boy on Guling Street". Edward isn't afraid of working with a huge cast, in Yi Yi there were many, many characters and minor parts played by amateur actors. A Brighter Summer Day though, uses no less than 100 amateur actors in different, minor roles. That's quite impressive, and was one of the biggest Chinese projects of its time.

But on the other hand, it's such a huge film with a running time that requires your dedication. If you are willing to give it that, A Brighter Summer Day proves to be one of the more powerful and unforgettable drama movies ever. 

Genre: Drama/Crime/Romance