Yi Yi A (One And A Two)- English subtitled
This undisputed masterpiece by Edward Yang is an ensemble film about a year in the life of a middle-class Taiwanese family. At the heart of the story are the fortunes of N.J. Jian, the owner of a struggling IT company.
His life threatens to fall apart completely. His mother-in-law falls into a coma, his wife joins a cult, and his son struggles at school. A chance encounter with the first great love of his life forces Jian to take stock of everything.
A remarkable supporting role is reserved for Jian’s eight-year-old son, Yang-Yang. He takes photos of the backs of people’s heads because he finds it frustrating that they cannot see their own. It’s a perfect metaphor for Yang’s vision of the artist’s role in society: to hold up a mirror and reveal what we cannot or do not want to see. No one embodied this role better than Edward Yang. At Cannes, Yi Yi was awarded the prize for Best Director.