Locust (Chinese: 蟲; pinyin: chóng; trans. "bug, insignificant person") is a 2024 Taiwanese neo-noir thriller drama film directed by Taiwanese-American filmmaker KEFF on his feature film directorial debut. The film is a co-production by Taiwan, USA, Qatar and France. The film also captures incidents pertaining to the 2019 Hong Kong mass protests.
Synopsis
Chung-Han, a mute restaurant worker who himself goes through an existential crisis by his own standards, has to follow the famous idiom of "live to fight another day" to sum up his experiences of survival amidst being caught in a critical juncture of having to fight against a deadly violent gang.
Cast
- Liu Wei-chen (Chinese: 劉韋辰) as Chung-Han (鍾翰)
- Rimong Ihwar
- Devin Pan
- An-shung Yu
- Yi Jung Wu
- Nien-Hsien Ma
Production
Filmmaker KEFF (王凱民) spent most of his life in the United States of America before moving back to his home, Taiwan, in 2019. He started work on the film soon after his return, citing a lack of attention among the younger generation in Taiwan about the Chinese government's rapid escalation and crackdown on civil liberties in Hong Kong, which has sparked concern from some quarters that it is a prelude to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. KEFF focused on portraying the low interest among the young Taiwanese population for international affairs. He expressed his desire to tell more human stories deviating from common portrayals from Taiwan as merely "a headline in the news" about semiconductors or international conflict.
The film gained substantial production support from Aide aux Cinemas du Monde in France and the Qatari non-profit organization Doha Film Institute announced a post-production grant for the filmmakers. As part of lead actor Liu Wei-chen's preparation for the role, he was not allowed to speak at all for weeks before the commencement of principal photography.
Marketing
MK2 Films pioneered the international sales for the film project and MK2 Films collaborated through its production banner MK Productions for the film project.
Premiere
On 16 May 2024, the film was premiered at the Cannes Critics' Week (Semaine de la critique) during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
The film had its premiere in the Critics' Week program at the 22nd Morelia International Film Festival.
Accolades
The film received invitation to enter the Berlinale Talents’ Script Station for 2022.
References
- "Review: Locust". Cineuropa - the best of european cinema. 2024-05-16. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- ^ Lodderhose, Diana (2024-05-14). "'Locust': Watch First-Look Clip Of Cannes Critics' Week Entry From Taiwanese-American Filmmaker KEFF". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- Scott, Mathew (2024-05-15). "How Taiwan Is Helping Filmmakers Explore the Boundaries of Cinema". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- ^ "Taiwan films tell nation's story at Cannes - Taipei Times". www.taipeitimes.com. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- "Locust". Doha Film Institute. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- Goodfellow, Melanie (2024-01-22). "Doha Film Institute Unveils Fall 2023 Grantees Including Prince Naseem Doc & New Films By Mohamed Al Daradji & Taiwan's KEFF". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- "La sélection 2024". Semaine de la Critique du Festival de Cannes (in French). Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- "International Film Festival of Morelia | La Semaine de la Critique of Festival de Cannes". Semaine de la Critique du Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 2024-11-23.
- https://moreliafilmfest.com/en/locust-brings-critics-week-program-22nd-ficm-close