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
The History of Concrete
After attending a workshop on pitching saccharine Hallmark movies, John Wilson tries to apply all the same best practices to his documentary about concrete. Frequently absurd and endlessly entertaining detours, asides, and digressions ensue.
NAZA
NAZA is a codeword euphemistically used by Israeli intelligence to indicate the number of civilians it expects will be killed in an airstrike. This chilling documentary exposes the policy and process of state-sanctioned mass killings.
I Am Not a Witch
Rungano Nyoni's acclaimed debut feature is a visually striking satire about a 9-year-old orphan accused of witchcraft in contemporary Zambia. Screening in the latest African Cinema Now! series, The Witch at the Edge of the Screen.
Akashi
In Mayumi Yoshida’s tender drama, struggling artist Kana journeys to Tokyo to attend her grandmother’s funeral. While there, she reconnects with her childhood love and stumbles across a family secret that prompts her to reconsider her place in the world.
Queen at Sea
An academic is pitted against her stepfather in a moral crisis over the care of her mother, who lives with dementia. Winner of the Silver Bear Jury Prize and Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance at the 2026 Berlinale.
Image: © Seafaring