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Eel film image; woman gripping a man in a hug from behind

Eel

Hé mán / 河鳗

Vanguard

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North American Premiere

A young man leads a solitary existence, living and working in a landfill zone on an island just outside of Taipei. His world shifts when, one day, a mysterious, almost feral young woman floats into his life. The two are instantly drawn to each other, almost by an otherworldly force — but in the scorching heat, surrounded by waste, their budding intimacy takes some twists and turns as buried demons come to the fore. Ultimately, the primal takes hold and their bond deepens.

Visually alluring, with meticulously composed frames, this mesmerizing feature debut captures the beauty of Taipei’s less photogenic periphery. Its visceral spin on fated connections pulls the viewer in with seductive rhythms and sensory prowess where sharp and soft edges collide. Chu deftly blends the erotic with supernatural and regional symbolism, transmuting loneliness and desire into a raw, culturally rooted meditation on belonging.

 

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Director
Cast

Devin Pan, Misi Ke, Chin-Yu Pan, Bella Chen, Mei-Hou Wu

Credits
Country of Origin

Taiwan

Year

2025

Language

In Taiwanese and Mandarin with English subtitles

Film Contact
Links
18+
102 min
Cinemas of Asia Drama Romance
Static Film & Visual Art Production

Book Tickets

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Credits & Director

Executive Producer

Chu Chun-Teng, Susan Huang, Rita Chuang Chun-Chun

Producer

Susan Huang

Screenwriter

You Shann-Jiun, Chu Chun-Teng

Cinematography

Nguyễn Vinh Phúc

Editor

Alulu Kuo, Chu Chun-Teng

Production Design

Chang I-Feng

Original Music

Tôn Thất An

Chu Chun-Teng headshot

Chu Chun-Teng

Chu Chun-Teng majored in film directing and cinematography and received his MFA in fine art from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2010. His works explore themes of individual existence, social hierarchy, and political conflict, reflecting the dilemmas of modern society. Spanning film and contemporary art, his works have been showcased at major festivals and art institutions worldwide, including the 7th Seoul International Film Festival, 2014 Taipei Biennial, Kunsthaus Essen, Shanghai Contemporary Art Museum, Glasgow Center for Contemporary Arts, and Herzliya Museum of Contemporary Art.

Photo by Li Yu-Chi

 

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