Six Films by Midi Z

The films of Taiwanese director Midi Z slide effortlessly yet purposefully between fiction and nonfiction, the experienced and the observed. A protégé of the great Hou Hsiao-hsien, the Myanmar-born Midi Z is similarly adept at mixing lived reality with cinematic magic. His compassionate and artistically rigorous films often explore the lives of displaced people on the margins trying to navigate societal oppression and earn a decent living. His most recent film, the self-reflexive psychological thriller Nina Wu, screened in the 2019 Cannes Un Certain Regard competition, and marked a major step forward in terms of budget and scope while maintaining a crucial intimacy with the land and culture of his previous work. This online retrospective of Midi Z’s films from the past decade includes six of the director’s most acclaimed features. View series trailer.

The films in this series are: Nina Wu, The Road to Mandalay, 14 Apples, Ice Poison, City of Jade, and Return to Burma.

The Museum’s presentation includes two new video discussions, one featuring critic Jessica Kiang in conversation with Midi Z and Wu Ke-Xi about Nina Wu, and a career-focused conversation between Midi Z and Jeff Reichert, co-editor of Reverse Shot and Oscar-winning producer. Both will be available as part of the series and also on the Museum’s channels.