Restored version of Hou Hsiao-hsien's early film debuts in Venice

An early masterwork of world-renowned director Hou Hsiao-hsien has been screened at the on-going 72nd Venice Film Festival, after being restored by Cinematek, the royal cinema archive of Belgium.

The restored version of the film The Boys from Feng-kuei made its premiere on Thursday evening, in a screening room packed with journalists and industry professionals.

In a brief speech before the screening, the director said that the film is of great importance in his career, which changed his cinematic style completely.

"It was made more than 30 years ago, so the negative was severely damaged. I'm grateful for all the efforts made by my friends at Cinematek, which brought this film back to life," Hou said.

Nicola Mazzanti, Director of Cinematek who led the restoration project, said The Boys from Feng-kuei was one of the first films that introduced the unique cinema landscape in Asia to European audience, and the organisation is proud to cooperate with Hou to preserve some of his significant pieces.

The restoration work was completed in Cinematek's lab in Brussels. Two other early works of Hou, Cute Girl (1980), and The Green, Green Grass of Home (1982), have also been restored by the organisation.

Released in 1983, The Boys from Feng-kuei is all about the growing pain. It tells the story of four rebellious teenagers from the small coastal village of Feng-kuei, who came to Kaohsiung and faced the harsh realities of the big city.

The film, featuring Hou's signature long takes, won the Golden Montgolfiere at the 1984 Nantes Three Continents Festival in France. Endit