World Premiere
Set in the pulsing heart of Taipei, Cheng-Chui Kuo’s film is a lively, bittersweet ode to love and friendship. Wandering the streets after a tiff with her husband, Blanche (Yu Chen) runs into her ex-boyfriend Jake (Jeff Kuo), whom she hasn’t seen in years. Together they link up with another old pal, Axin (Phil Huo), who’s about to part with his girlfriend Mao Mao (Chi Yun Mao). From there it’s a night on the town for the group, with old passions and regrets bubbling to the surface…
Lacing the action with flashbacks and narrated monologues, Kuo crafts a convincing and relatable four-part character study that ponders the gulf between our desires and our life circumstances. Last Night in Taipei is warmhearted but never sentimental, funny but never frivolous, realistic but never complacent. It’s a distinctly mature work — one that could only have come from someone who has lived through heartbreak and gained grace and wisdom from the experience.
Oct 8 & 9: Q&A
Supported by
Community Partner
Yu Chen, Phil Hou, Jeff Kuo, Chi Yun Mao, Yu Lin
Taiwan/France
2025
In Mandarin with English subtitles
At International Village
At Fifth Avenue
Book Tickets
Credits & Director
Producer
Cheng Chou, Cheng-Chui Kuo, Ethan Zheng
Screenwriter
Cheng-Chui Kuo
Cinematography
Ai Chung
Editor
Yannis Polinacci
Production Design
Andrew Lo
Original Music
Sonia Calico
Cheng-Chui Kuo 郭承衢
Born in Taipei, Cheng-Chui Kuo graduated from Provence University and now splits his time living and working between France and Taiwan. Kuo was nominated for a César Award for his short film Family Viewing (2008), after which he returned to Taiwan to direct his first feature, Forêt Debussy (2016). His second feature, Clément, Alex et tous les autres (2019) was released in Europe on Prime Video.
Filmography: Forêt Debussy (2016); Clément, Alex et tous les autres (2019)
Missing VIFF? Check out what's playing at the VIFF Centre
Lucid
Art student Mia is struggling with a make-or-break assignment, a self-portrait. It's only when grandma lets slip that her mom used to hypnotize her as a child to blank out the bad bits that she realizes the severity of the challenge...
The End of the Internet + Installation & Talk
Forget the cloud. "The net" is a far more accurate metaphor for the www. Filmmaker Dylan Reibling meets the hacktavists around the world fighting for the independent flow of information free from censorship and exploitation.
Two Pianos
Once promising concert pianist Mathias (François Civil) returns to his native Lyon after a long absence. He's here to pay homage to his mentor, Elena (Charlotte Rampling). But a chance encounter with an old flame sends him spiraling.
The Richest Woman in the World
Isabelle Huppert plays cosmetics CEO Marianne in this teasingly ambivalent satire inspired by the Bettancourt Affair, when L'Oreal heir Francoise Bettancourt scandalized France by frittering away her fortune on a notorious celebrity photographer.
