OLD FOX

Following his 2018 film Father to Son, HSIAO Ya-chuan released another feature film after a gap of five years. The film is produced by HOU Hsiao-hsien, Fumiko OSAKA, and Elisa Y.H. LIN.

In 1989, eleven-year-old LIAO Jie and his father had been diligently saving money, hoping to be able to purchase a house of their own within three years. Unbeknownst to them, the world around them was undergoing rapid changes. Property prices skyrocketed, and in the blink of an eye, their savings were no longer sufficient. Frustrated, LIAO came to realize the harsh reality of poverty. In stark contrast to his father, their landlord—referred to as “Old Fox” by the locals—emerged as a victor, and seemed a better mentor for LIAO. Old Fox taught LIAO survival skills in this unforgiving society, something his father had never imparted. However, LIAO ended up hurting Old Fox with the lessons he had learned. Like his father, LIAO is someone who always empathizes with others. It is this quality that prevents LIAO from becoming another “Old Fox”.