The Cinematheque

New Restoration

“Completely unlike anything else that was being made in Taiwan in 1983 in tone, in style, in pacing, in structure.”

Tony Rayns

Edward Yang’s auspicious first theatrical feature announced the arrival of an exceptional new talent and stands as a milestone in Taiwanese cinema. A complex, emotionally charged contemporary epic exploring the position of women and the conflicting forces of modernity and tradition, the film stars superstar Sylvia Chang in a breakthrough role as Lin Jia-li, an independent-minded woman whose disappointing marriage appears to have come to an abrupt end. The framing story has her meeting old friend Tan (Terry Hu), a renowned concert pianist now living in Vienna who was once engaged to Lin’s brother. That Day, on the Beach not only shows Yang to be an already masterful architect of layered storytelling, it also debuts the dreamy photography of a then-unknown Christopher Doyle, whose subsequent work with Wong Kar-wai, among others, would make him one of the most sought-after cinematographers in world cinema.

In Mandarin, Hokkien, German, and English with English subtitles

“One of the greatest debuts of the late 20th century.”

Film at Lincoln Center

“The most ambitious first feature in Chinese cinema for over a decade … That Day oozes self-assurance and craftsmanship.”

Derek Elley, International Film Guide

“A remarkable achievement. And Chang, buried as she is under a truly outstanding 1980s perm, gives one of her best performances.”

Sean Gilman, MUBI Notebook