A City of Sadness (Beiqing chengzhi)

Through the experience of a large family, this film examines one of the most sensitive chapters in Taiwan's history. The film opens in 1945 when the Japanese colonial rule was replaced by the Nationalists from China. The arrival of the Nationalists brought an uncertain future and fears about past associations with the Japanese. In Keelong, Taiwan's northern port and business centre, old man Li has four sons aged 18 to 45. Life under the Japanese affected each man differently and they must now adjust to the new and chaotic situation. Through the eyes of the father, we follow the upheavals in their lives and those closest to them.