Boiling the Sea

Boiling the Sea is an extended dialogue with legendary film director Hou Hsiao-hsien, offering a rare glimpse into his approach to filmmaking, reflections on the Taiwan film industry, and unique film aesthetics. Culled from dozens of hours of recorded interviews, the book spans the director’s childhood and forty years of filmmaking with in-depth discussions of each of his eighteen feature-length films, including the classics Dust in the Wind, City of Sadness, Flowers of Shanghai, and The Puppetmaster, which came to define the Taiwan New Cinema movement. The director also discusses his influences, engagement in Taiwanese politics, and collaborative relationships with actors and key crew members. From industry and economics to art and politics, Boiling the Sea represents the single most comprehensive document of Hou Hsiao-hsien’s candid thoughts on the art and challenges of filmmaking.