Friday, January 23, 2026 at 9:30 PM
Vidiots, Los Angeles
**Screenwriter**: Tsai Ming-liang **Producer**: Feng-chyi Jian Tsai Ming-liang emerged on the world cinema scene in 1992 with his groundbreaking first feature, ***Rebels of the Neon God***. His debut already includes a handful of elements familiar to fans of subsequent work: a deceptively spare style often branded “minimalist”; actor Lee Kang-sheng as the silent and sullen Hsiao-kang; copious amounts of water, whether pouring from the sky or bubbling up from a clogged drain; and enough urban anomie to ensure that even the subtle humor in evidence is tinged with pathos. The loosely structured plot involves Hsiao-kang, a despondent cram school student, who becomes obsessed with young petty thief Ah-tze, after Ah-tze smashes the rearview mirror of a taxi driven by Hsiao-kang’s father. Hsiao-kang stalks Ah-tze and his buddy Ah-ping as they hang out in the film’s iconic arcade (featuring a telling poster of James Dean on the wall) and other locales around Taipei, and ultimately takes his revenge. ***Rebels of the Neon God*** is a remarkably impressive first film that hints at the promise of its director: a talent confirmed by Tsai’s equally stunning second feature, *Vive L’Amour* (Golden Lion, Venice), and continuing to his most recent film, *Stray Dogs*, which ranked high on many “best of” lists last year. Though showing such diverse influences as the French New Wave, Wong Kar-wai’s early films—and, yes, *Rebel Without a Cause*—Tsai’s film is most remarkable for introducing his startlingly unique vision to world cinema. **Accessibility Options**: Open Captions, Amplified Audio, please see the box office for devices.