The Hole in 35mm
- Friday, Sep 18, 2026, 5:00pm
- Friday, Sep 18, 2026, 7:30pm
- Sunday, Sep 20, 2026, 1:30pm
- Sunday, Sep 20, 2026, 6:30pm
Screening location: SIFF Film Center – 167 Republican St, Seattle (located within the Seattle Center, just north of Climate Pledge Arena / east of KEXP and The Vera Project)
New 35mm print of one of the most disarmingly funny and cathartic entries in Tsai Ming-Liang’s filmography, co-presented with SIFF.
Set just prior to the start of the 21st century, this vaguely futuristic story follows two residents of a quickly crumbling building who refuse to leave their homes in spite of a virus that has forced the evacuation of the area.
As rain pours down relentlessly, a single man is stuck with an unfinished plumbing job and a hole in his floor. This results in a very odd relationship with the woman who lives below him. Combining deadpan humor with an austere view of loneliness and a couple of unexpected musical numbers, Tsai Ming-Liang crafted one of the most original films of the 1990s.
In Mandarin with English subtitles.
“Impressive a quarter century ago, it seems even more so today.” J. Hoberman, The New York Times
“A broodingly apocalyptic and thoroughly original view.” Marjorie Baumgarten, The Austin Chronicle
“The Hole proves to be an eerily prophetic and timely movie, perhaps better now than it ever was.” Jeffrey Anderson, San Francisco Examiner