That Day, at the Beach

One of the earliest films associated with the Taiwan New Cinema, Yang’s heartfelt debut finds Sylvia Chang and Terry Hu as schoolfriends Jia-li and Wei-qing, meeting up for the first time in years. Wei-qing had been in a relationship with Jia-li’s brother, who broke it off at his father’s behest. By contrast, Jia-li followed her own path into a fateful marriage. Told through flashbacks and shot by first-time cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Yang’s accomplished social drama set the tone and style for his subsequent work.