Synapses

  • 119'
  • Taiwan
  • 2019

When the young Xiao Meng is released from prison, her father and son don’t recognise her – the former due to dementia developed during her six-year prison term and the latter because he was only a baby when she was arrested because of her dodgy boyfriend.

In the melancholy Taiwanese Synapses, Xiao Meng's return unsettles her family. While the family members try to regain their balance, their vulnerable interrelations are acutely observed by director Chang Tso-chi (Tiger Competition nominee Ah Chung and When Love Comes).

The son tries to hatch a turkey's egg, the onset of dementia causes dad to attempt to capture memories by taking photographs with no film in the camera, as the intangibility of time's progress imposes itself. Synapses shows how life always goes on and that families always end up around the same dining table again.

This film is also shown in the Big Screen Tour 2020.

Director
Chang Tso-chi
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
Taiwan
Year
2019
Festival Edition
IFFR 2020
Length
119'
Medium
DCP
Language
Taiwanese
Producer
Kao Wen-Hung
Production Company
Simple View Production
Sales
Swallow Wings Films
Screenplay
Chang Tso-chi, Charlotte Hsieh
Cinematography
Chen Chi-gheng, Hsu Chih-chun
Editor
Chang Tso-chi
Sound Design
Chang Tso-chi
Music
Lin Shang-te, Tseng Yun-fang
Cast
Li Meng, Oscar Chiu, Lu Hsueh-feng, Peace Yang, Zhang Xiao-xiong
Director
Chang Tso-chi
Premiere
International premiere
Country of production
Taiwan
Year
2019
Festival Edition
IFFR 2020
Length
119'
Medium
DCP
Language
Taiwanese
Producer
Kao Wen-Hung
Production Company
Simple View Production
Sales
Swallow Wings Films
Screenplay
Chang Tso-chi, Charlotte Hsieh
Cinematography
Chen Chi-gheng, Hsu Chih-chun
Editor
Chang Tso-chi
Sound Design
Chang Tso-chi
Music
Lin Shang-te, Tseng Yun-fang
Cast
Li Meng, Oscar Chiu, Lu Hsueh-feng, Peace Yang, Zhang Xiao-xiong