Taipei (January 1, 2026) — Following the remarkable success of last year’s New Year’s Eve event, which attracted more than 3,000 participants, the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI) once again presents its distinctive year-end program, “Cry Me A Movier,” to welcome 2026. The event reunites internationally acclaimed director TSAI Ming-liang with actors LEE Kang-sheng and YANG Kuei-mei, and features the Asian premiere of the newly restored 4K version of Vive L’Amour, following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last September.

Held at Taipei’s iconic Daan Forest Park, the outdoor screening is presented on an expanded large-scale screen to accommodate a growing audience. Through a shared cinematic experience, the program invites viewers to engage emotionally with the film and to welcome the New Year through reflection and resonance, marking a rare and historically significant moment.

Since its reception, “Cry Me A Movier” has become a globally unique cultural phenomenon. Beyond setting an extraordinary precedent in film exhibition, the event offers an alternative approach to New Year celebrations by emphasizing emotional openness and collective experience. Responding to the overwhelming public interest last year, TFAI enlarged the screening facilities and selected Vive L’Amour—one of Tsai Ming-liang’s most representative works—for its first-ever Asian presentation in newly restored 4K.

The evening program begins at the park’s Music Pavilion with Archiving Time (2019), a documentary that records TFAI’s ongoing efforts in rescuing and restoring moving images, highlighting the importance of audiovisual heritage preservation. This is followed by a screening of PAI Ching-jui’s silent film The Morning in Taipei (1964), accompanied by live music from DJ Elvis LIN, offering audiences a poetic glimpse of Taipei through images captured six decades ago.

Before the screening of Vive L’Amour, nearly a thousand spectators had already gathered at Daan Forest Park, undeterred by the steady winter rain. Wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas, audiences filled the park benches in anticipation. Following a lively opening by the event’s featured host and performance artist UG, director TSAI Ming-liang, actors LEE Kang-sheng and YANG Kuei-mei took their seats amid enthusiastic cheers, marking the final screening of the year for many in attendance. 

As the film unfolded on the large outdoor screen, its portrayal of urban loneliness and emotional isolation in Taipei resonated deeply with the audience. The film’s renowned seven-minute final sequence, featuring YANG Kuei-mei’s uninterrupted expression of grief, proved particularly powerful in the shared viewing environment, eliciting a response that was both emotional and warmly appreciative.

Shortly before the New Year’s countdown, the crew returned to the stage to engage with the audience. TSAI Ming-liang reflected on the personal significance of the occasion, noting that the event had become “one of the most important days” in his life. He shared his deep attachment to the film’s final image, which includes an appearance by LEE Kang-sheng’s father, now deceased, expressing gratitude for the enduring connection the film allows him to revisit each year. His remarks, revealing an intimate behind-the-scenes story of the film, moved many in the audience.

LEE Kang-sheng described revisiting Vive L’Amour under the rainy night sky as a quietly melancholic yet comforting experience, adding that seeing the audience gathered together brought him a sense of joy and hope for future New Year’s reunions. YANG Kuei-mei also spoke candidly, recalling her concern during moments of heavy rain and her relief upon realizing that no one had left. She mentioned that while she had watched the film with laughter the previous year, this time she was moved to tears, emphasizing the significance of being able to reunite safely and welcome another year together.

YANG further remarked on the clarity and detail revealed through the 4K digital restoration, praising TFAI’s dedication to preserving Taiwan’s cinematic heritage and the creative efforts of an earlier generation of filmmakers. Her heartfelt and humorous reflections on revisiting her youthful performance prompted both laughter and tears among the audience. As the countdown began, voices rose in unison to welcome 2026, bringing the rain-soaked evening to a moving and memorable conclusion.

➤On New Year’s Eve, the program opened at the Music Pavilion of Daan Forest Park with a screening of Archiving Time (2019), a documentary highlighting TFAI’s efforts in rescuing and restoring audiovisual materials. (Courtesy of TFAI)

➤Prior to the screening of Vive L’Amour, nearly an audience of 1000 gathered at Daan Forest Park, undeterred by the winter rain, wearing raincoats and holding umbrellas as they waited in anticipation. (Courtesy of TFAI)

➤Director TSAI Ming-liang remarks, “This day has become one of the most important days in my life—I wouldn’t dare schedule anything else.” (Courtesy of TFAI)

➤Actress YANG Kuei-mei shares her heartfelt reflections: “Last year I watched Vive L’Amour with laughter, but this year I felt like crying—because we are able to reunite here safely and welcome another peaceful year together.” (Courtesy of TFAI)

➤Actor LEE Kang-sheng expresses his hope to continue accompanying the audience on future New Year’s Eve nights. (Courtesy of TFAI)

➤The crew of Vive L’Amour joins the audience at Daan Forest Park to watch the film and welcome the New Year together. (Courtesy of TFAI)