The Skywalk Is Gone
Encyclopedia
The Skywalk is Gone is a 2002 Taiwanese short film directed by Tsai Ming-liang
and starring Chen Shiang-chyi
and Lee Kang-sheng
.
from her trip to Paris
. She goes to the skywalk
where she first met Hsiao-kang, the salesman who sold her a watch, but some construction has taken place and the skywalk is gone. She stares at a large video screen for awhile and then wanders around aimlessly. After crossing a street illegally
, she is stopped by a police officer, who checks her ID card. Shiang-chyi then stops at a coffee shop for a short while. She realizes that her card is missing, so she goes back to the officer to ask if he still has it. He replies that he does not.
Meanwhile, Hsiao-kang is smoking in a public bathroom stall. After he finishes, he washes his hands and leaves the restroom. He then walks up some stairs on the underpass. Shiang-chyi is walking down the same flight of stairs, and they pass each other. Hsiao-kang pauses at the top of the staircase to look back down at her, but Shiang-chyi does not notice him.
Hsiao-kang then goes to audition for a new job as a pornographic actor
. The director
asks him a few questions and then tells him to take off his clothes. Hsiao-kang hesitates but eventually complies. He then puts on a doctor's uniform and steps out onto the balcony to start filming.
The short ends with music playing over a scene of clouds moving in real-time.
Their characters would also appear in Tsai's next film, The Wayward Cloud
.
One of the principal locations of What Time Is It There? was the skywalk in front of the New Railway Station. The skywalk was torn down after shooting the film, and this short is based on that fact. Director Tsai Ming-liang later joked that "It seems that many places that I shot for my films have vanished. This is kind of worrying!"
A major theme of this film is the urbanization
of Taipei. The song playing at the end of it is called "Nanping Bell".
.
The short was generally well-received by critics. It won the Grand Prize at the 2003 Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival. According to the Taipei Times
: "Its self-referential natures makes Skywalk somewhat difficult to understand, but Tsai maintains high production values and the short film is filled with precise shots, beautiful photography and good performances."
Tsai Ming-liang
Tsai Ming-liang is one of the most celebrated "Second New Wave" film directors of Taiwanese Cinema, along with earlier contemporaries such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien and Edward Yang...
and starring Chen Shiang-chyi
Chen Shiang-chyi
Chen Shiang-chyi is a film actress from Taiwan.She has had starring roles in several of Tsai Ming-liang's films, including What Time Is It There?, Goodbye, Dragon Inn, The Wayward Cloud, and I Don't Want to Sleep Alone....
and Lee Kang-sheng
Lee Kang-sheng
Lee Kang-sheng is a Taiwanese actor, film director, and screenwriter. He has appeared in all of Tsai Ming-liang's feature films. Lee's directorial efforts include The Missing in 2003 and Help Me Eros in 2007.-Career:...
.
Plot
Shiang-chyi has returned to TaipeiTaipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
from her trip to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. She goes to the skywalk
Skyway
In an urban setting, a skyway, catwalk, sky bridge, or skywalk is a type of pedway consisting of an enclosed or covered bridge between two buildings. This protects pedestrians from the weather. These skyways are usually owned by businesses, and are therefore not public spaces...
where she first met Hsiao-kang, the salesman who sold her a watch, but some construction has taken place and the skywalk is gone. She stares at a large video screen for awhile and then wanders around aimlessly. After crossing a street illegally
Jaywalking
Jaywalking is an informal term commonly used in North America to refer to illegal or reckless pedestrian crossing of a roadway. Examples include a pedestrian crossing between intersections without yielding to drivers and starting to cross a crosswalk at a signalized intersection without waiting...
, she is stopped by a police officer, who checks her ID card. Shiang-chyi then stops at a coffee shop for a short while. She realizes that her card is missing, so she goes back to the officer to ask if he still has it. He replies that he does not.
Meanwhile, Hsiao-kang is smoking in a public bathroom stall. After he finishes, he washes his hands and leaves the restroom. He then walks up some stairs on the underpass. Shiang-chyi is walking down the same flight of stairs, and they pass each other. Hsiao-kang pauses at the top of the staircase to look back down at her, but Shiang-chyi does not notice him.
Hsiao-kang then goes to audition for a new job as a pornographic actor
Pornographic actor
A pornographic actor/actress or a porn star is a person who appears in pornographic film. Most actors appear nude in films...
. The director
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
asks him a few questions and then tells him to take off his clothes. Hsiao-kang hesitates but eventually complies. He then puts on a doctor's uniform and steps out onto the balcony to start filming.
The short ends with music playing over a scene of clouds moving in real-time.
Background
Actors Chen Shiang-chyi and Lee Kang-sheng both reprised their roles from Tsai Ming-liang's previous film, What Time Is It There?What Time Is It There?
What Time Is It There? is a 2001 film directed by Tsai Ming-liang. It stars Lee Kang-sheng, Chen Shiang-chyi, and Lu Yi-Ching.-Plot:The film tells two parallel stories, one about the life of a street vendor following the death of his father; the other about a woman he meets briefly as she heads...
Their characters would also appear in Tsai's next film, The Wayward Cloud
The Wayward Cloud
The Wayward Cloud is a 2005 film directed by Tsai Ming-liang. The cast includes Lee Kang-sheng and Chen Shiang-chyi. The film was Taiwan's official entry for the 78th Academy Awards in the foreign-language category...
.
One of the principal locations of What Time Is It There? was the skywalk in front of the New Railway Station. The skywalk was torn down after shooting the film, and this short is based on that fact. Director Tsai Ming-liang later joked that "It seems that many places that I shot for my films have vanished. This is kind of worrying!"
A major theme of this film is the urbanization
Urbanization
Urbanization, urbanisation or urban drift is the physical growth of urban areas as a result of global change. The United Nations projected that half of the world's population would live in urban areas at the end of 2008....
of Taipei. The song playing at the end of it is called "Nanping Bell".
Release and reception
The Skywalk Is Gone was the first short film to ever get a theatrical commercial run in Taiwan. However, it was shown in only one theater. It was included on the DVD for the film Goodbye, Dragon InnGoodbye, Dragon Inn
Goodbye, Dragon Inn is a 2003 Taiwanese film directed by Tsai Ming-liang about the last feature at a historic Taipei cinema.-Plot:...
.
The short was generally well-received by critics. It won the Grand Prize at the 2003 Vila do Conde International Short Film Festival. According to the Taipei Times
Taipei Times
The Taipei Times is one of the three major English-language newspapers in the Republic of China the other two being the Taiwan News and The China Post...
: "Its self-referential natures makes Skywalk somewhat difficult to understand, but Tsai maintains high production values and the short film is filled with precise shots, beautiful photography and good performances."