A young man is sleeping on a bus. Is he leaving or arriving? Either way, his hometown will gladly give him a place to return to. Tsai Ming-Liang heads to Laos, the homeland of Anong Houngheuangsy, who worked with him on Days (2020). Tsai brings his camera to capture the country’s landscape from his perspective. From an amusement park to crumbling buildings, religious sites, and marketplaces, as well as a family’s daily life and the sights and sounds of various places in Laos, Tsai gathers these images without hiding the fact that he is a stranger to this country. Perhaps this is because Back Home is a gift of a film, made for someone who has spent years by his side. Though a documentary, the film leaves traces of fiction in its opening and closing scenes. In the final shot, the camera focuses on a white towel placed on a neatly made bed. This scene, seemingly overlapping fiction and documentary, carries a perfect whisper of hometown. Back Home.
* Korean/English subtitles for this film are not provided upon the request of director even though the film includes a few dialogues in the original language.
Tsai Ming-liang is a Malaysian-born Taiwanese filmmaker and artist. His major films include Goodbye, Dragon Inn (2003), The Wayward Cloud (2005), and Days (2020). Since 2012, he has worked on the Walker series through various forms, including feature and short films, installations, and performances. The series explores time and bodily movement across different cities and spaces, and has been showcased at international film festivals and art museums. Set in San Sebastian, Spain, Dust is the eleventh installment in the Walker series and was selected for the non-competition section of the Venice Film Festival.
From Busan International Film Festival 2025, No. 30
