Today, class, we are going to talk about identity. We are going to talk about desire, about mistakes past and present, about wanting to change – not necessarily to change who you are, but to change to who you really are. Heady subjects, for sure, but stick with me and we'll talk about some movies that should help to illustrate. You see, the Asian Film Series continues at Village 8 Theaters, and this week we are heading to Taiwan and Japan.
We will start with Ming Tian Ji De Ai Shang Wo, which, as everybody knows, is Mandarin for Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow. Weichung and Feng are a happily married couple with a beautiful child – and Feng wants another. Presented with this prospect, Weichung begins to question everything – including his sexuality, after running into an old acquaintance living the life of a swinging gay man. We've all been there – Weichung just wants to feel happy, loved, loving, fulfilled.
Also playing is Kagi-Dorobo no Messodo, or Key of Life. Sakurai is an actor whose dreams have failed. Despondent, suicidal, he takes drastic measures in a bath house and switches identities with a man who has just suffered a terrible fall and now has amnesia. Trouble is, Kondo, the man who Sakurai is now pretending to be, is a Yakuza hitman, and Sakurai now has to fill these shoes. Meanwhile, Kondo embraces his presumed identity as Sakurai and finds himself in the midst of romantic entanglements. It all promises to be quite wacky.
Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow and Key of Life are scheduled to play at Village 8 until Thursday, October 3. Further theater information and showtimes can be found at the Village 8 website.
Image: Internet Movie Database