The Fourth Portrait (Di Si Zhang Hua)

• Director: Chung Mong-Hong
• Writer: Chung Mong-Hong, Tu Hsiang-Wen
• Cast: Xiao-Hai Bi, Leon Dai, Lei Hao, Terri Kwan, Na Dow
• Theatrical Release Date:
• Criticwire: C
• On The Web IMDB Entry

Synopsis: "The Fourth Portrait" casts a sobering look at the troubling issues of domestic violence, and the difficult family dynamics that are born of marriages of convenience. Defying all genre definitions, the film blends comedic elements with deeply touching moments. The result is a fascinating tale of innocence and maturity that bears the signature of one of Taiwan’s most exciting new talents.

Listening to the laborious breathing of his father in a hospital room, ten year-old Xiang (Bi Xiao-hai) quietly waits for his uncertain destiny to unfold. He is the only family member at his father’s deathbed and will be the only relative at the funeral.

Xiang is trying to adjust to his new life as an orphan, when his estranged mother suddenly reappears in his life. She wants to absorb him into her new family, and while Xiang knows he should be pleased, he is apprehensive about the transition. His mother’s home is cold and unwelcoming, with a rancorous stepfather and the mysterious presence of a boy who haunts his dreams.

Even within this hostile environment, Xiang manages to find solace in painting and in a new friendship he forms with a chubby older boy, who supplements a meager income with odd jobs and petty thefts. Numerous secrets weave a web of uncertainty around Xiang’s life. His mother married his father in order to obtain citizenship and then abandoned him to follow the man she now lives with. But a much scarier secret hides in the dark past of his family, one he is destined to unveil.

As Xiang, Xiao-hai delivers a powerful performance flush with candour and nuance. Independent filmmaking at its best, "The Fourth Portrait" has a poetic beauty that is reflected in the visual elegance of its gorgeous photography. Getting right to the story’s emotional core, the film shines with lyrical brilliance. [Synopsis courtesy of Giovanna Fulvim, Toronto International Film Festival]