Daughter of the Nile(HKAFF 2017)

After Dust in the Wind, Hou Hsiao-hsien continued to explore the experiences of growing up in a rapidly modernizing Taiwan with this sublime portrait of a dysfunctional Taipei family. Hsiao-yang is the responsible middle daughter, taking care of her younger sister while working at a fast food restaurant and attending night school. Meanwhile, her older brother is a professional burglar trying to go legit with a new restaurant. The Taiwanese auteur’s overlooked 1987 gem depicts Taipei as a bourgeoning world-class metropolis whose restless youths live every moment to the fullest with little concern for the future. The city’s glowing neon signs and back alleys have never looked more beautiful in this gorgeous digitally restored version.