7.8 /10 1 Votes
89% Rotten Tomatoes Written by Tsai Ming-liang Initial release 2 December 2006 (Serbia) Screenplay Tsai Ming-liang | 7/10 IMDb 78% Metacritic Edited by Chen Sheng-chang Director Tsai Ming-liang | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Produced by Bruno PéseryVincent Wang Starring Lee Kang-shengNorman AtunChen Shiang-chyiPearlly Chua Cinematography Liao Pen-jungTsai Ming-liang Distributed by Axiom Films (UK and Ireland)Fortissimo FilmsStrand Releasing Producers Vincent Wang, Bruno Pésery Nominations Golden Lion, Grand Jury Prize Cast Lee Kang‑sheng, Chen Shiang‑chyi, Norman Atun, Pearly Chua, Leonard Tee Similar Directed by Tsai Ming-liang, Movies about homelessness, Comedy-dramas | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone (Chinese: 黑眼圈 Hēi yǎn quān) is a 2006 Malaysian-Taiwanese romantic drama film written and directed by Tsai Ming-liang. Lee Kang-sheng stars in a dual role as a brain-dead patient and as an injured homeless man. The film also stars Norman Atun and Chen Shiang-chyi.
Contents
I don t want to sleep alone trailer
Plot
A brain-dead man (Lee) is abused by his mother and cared for by his family's maid (Chen). Meanwhile, a homeless day laborer (Lee) is severely beaten by a mob before being carried home by a group of men, including Rawang (Atun), a Bangladeshi migrant worker. Rawang nurses the day laborer back to health. The day laborer and maid eventually meet and start a romantic relationship. Their relationship is later joined by Rawang.
Release
I Don't Want to Sleep Alone was among several films commissioned by Peter Sellars' New Crowned Hope Festival in Vienna in 2006, to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the birth of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The film had its world premiere on 4 September 2006 at the 64th Venice International Film Festival. It made its North American premiere on 11 September at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival, the Pusan International Film Festival, the London Film Festival, the Festival of Three Continents, the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival the Deauville Asian Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Film Festival.
It opened in general release in Taiwan on 23 March 2007, and after a censorship controversy in Malaysia, a version specially edited by director Tsai Ming-liang opened in Malaysian cinemas on 17 May 2007.
The film had a limited release in New York City on 9 May 2007, and was released in the United Kingdom on 16 November 2007.
Censorship in Malaysia
The Malaysian Censorship Board on 4 March 2007 decided to ban this film, which was shot in Malaysia, based on 18 counts of incidences shown in the film depicting the country "in a bad light" for cultural, ethical and racial reasons. However, they later allowed the film to be screened in the country after Tsai agreed to censor parts of the film according to the requirements of the Censorship Board.