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Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Two young man and woman walking side by side along a train track. The man wears olive-green school uniform, carrying a cloth sack on his shoulder. The woman wears school uniform with a white top and a black dress, carrying one shoulder bag on each shoulder and holding a foldable stool in her hands.

Dust in the Wind

Details
Programme: Stair in the Dark
Year: 1986
Director: Hou Hsiao-hsien
Format: DCP / Category IIA / 109 min.
Language: Other (Mandarin and Taiwanese with Chinese and English subtitles)
Audience: Everyone
Location: Grand Stair
Accessibility: Wheelchair
Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Two young man and woman walking side by side along a train track. The man wears olive-green school uniform, carrying a cloth sack on his shoulder. The woman wears school uniform with a white top and a black dress, carrying one shoulder bag on each shoulder and holding a foldable stool in her hands.

Dust in the Wind

Life in rural Jiufen is simple for childhood sweethearts Wan and Huen. Each day, they take the slow train between school and their small mining town. But with the local mining industry in decline, Wan decides to forgo high school and seek work in Taipei. Soon after, Huen follows suit. The young couple struggles with life in the big city, but they persevere by supporting each other. When Wan leaves for mandatory military service, they stay in touch by writing letters. Based on screenwriter Wu Nien-jen’s personal experiences, Dust in the Wind reflects on the lives of 1970s Taiwanese youths who had to leave their countryside homes in search of a ‘better’ life in the city. Director Hou Hsiao-hsien delicately portrays unspoken sentiments between people, and the possibility of finding solace in bittersweet memories.

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. On a platform at the train station stands two young man and woman face to face. The man carries a leather shoulder bag, and the woman is holding a few paper bags. They look into each other’s eyes with a sad expression.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, two young man and woman stand side by side. The man in suit wears glasses, and the woman with shoulder-length curly hair wears a pink frock dress. Both appear solemn with their heads lowered and both hands in front of the body.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, a young man in a patterned shirt squats, while an older man in a white top stands beside him. The skinny older man puts his hands on the hips with a cigarette. Both are looking at the same direction outside the frame.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. On a platform at the train station stands two young man and woman face to face. The man carries a leather shoulder bag, and the woman is holding a few paper bags. They look into each other’s eyes with a sad expression.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, two young man and woman stand side by side. The man in suit wears glasses, and the woman with shoulder-length curly hair wears a pink frock dress. Both appear solemn with their heads lowered and both hands in front of the body.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, a young man in a patterned shirt squats, while an older man in a white top stands beside him. The skinny older man puts his hands on the hips with a cigarette. Both are looking at the same direction outside the frame.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. On a platform at the train station stands two young man and woman face to face. The man carries a leather shoulder bag, and the woman is holding a few paper bags. They look into each other’s eyes with a sad expression.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, two young man and woman stand side by side. The man in suit wears glasses, and the woman with shoulder-length curly hair wears a pink frock dress. Both appear solemn with their heads lowered and both hands in front of the body.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, a young man in a patterned shirt squats, while an older man in a white top stands beside him. The skinny older man puts his hands on the hips with a cigarette. Both are looking at the same direction outside the frame.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. On a platform at the train station stands two young man and woman face to face. The man carries a leather shoulder bag, and the woman is holding a few paper bags. They look into each other’s eyes with a sad expression.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, two young man and woman stand side by side. The man in suit wears glasses, and the woman with shoulder-length curly hair wears a pink frock dress. Both appear solemn with their heads lowered and both hands in front of the body.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

Still of movie title ‘Dust in the Wind’. Outdoor, a young man in a patterned shirt squats, while an older man in a white top stands beside him. The skinny older man puts his hands on the hips with a cigarette. Both are looking at the same direction outside the frame.

Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

About the Director

Hou Hsiao-hsien (b. 1947, Guangdong) moved to Taiwan with his family soon after he was born. After completing his military service, he studied filmmaking at university. In 1973, Hou entered the film industry, serving as assistant director and in other positions. He made his directorial debut with Loveable You in 1981. Hou’s string of critical successes, including The Boys from Fengkuei (1983), A Time to Live, A Time to Die (1985), and Dust in the Wind (1986), made him one of the most notable names in New Taiwanese Cinema. The award-winning A City of Sadness (1989) and The Puppetmaster (1993) cemented his status as a leading figure in world cinema. Hou’s most recent film, The Assassin (2015), has also garnered awards at film festivals such as Cannes and Golden Horse Awards.

Image at top: Hou Hsiao-hsien. Dust in the Wind, 1986. Photo: Courtesy of TFAI

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