The movie "Night Train to Lisbon" is adapted from the novel of the same name. It not only narrates a journey across time and space but also explores many indescribable experiences in life: loneliness, the finiteness of life, death, friendship, love, and loyalty. Its emotional depth and intellectual richness are deeply moving. The original novel has sold 2 million copies worldwide, topped the German bestseller list for 140 weeks, and was officially published in Taiwan in 2011, becoming a bestseller in major bookstore chains.
The movie "Night Train to Lisbon" portrays the chilly urban landscape of Lisbon (Image provided by Cai Chang International)
Embark on an unknown journey to find the long-lost self
Gregorius, an elderly and reclusive high school teacher, one morning unexpectedly stops a woman in a red coat from jumping into a river on his way to school. However, after the mysterious woman leaves the classroom without a word, Gregorius discovers the Portuguese writer Prado's notebook "The Alchemist of Words" and a train ticket to Lisbon inside her abandoned red coat. With the line from the book: “If we can only live off a small part of ourselves, what happens to the rest?” and the indescribable call of the woman in red, Gregorius resolutely boards the train to Lisbon to uncover the life story of Prado.
In Lisbon, Gregorius investigates Prado’s friends and family, gradually reconstructing the image of this extraordinary doctor and writer who resisted Portugal’s dictatorship, as well as the full picture of his dramatic life. Through this journey that takes him off the beaten path, and through encounters and intersections with people and events, he begins to reflect on his own dull existence. This journey is not one of confusion or restlessness, but rather, in the twilight of his years, through the interplay with Prado across time and space, Gregorius gradually "returns" to his truest self while "heading" toward an unknown world, re-examining the choices and answers at each stage of his past life...
Embark on an unknown journey to find the long-lost self -- Movie "Night Train to Lisbon" (Image provided by Cai Chang International)
Cannes Golden Palm-winning director Bille August continues his keen sensitivity to literary adaptations, interpreting the profound meaning of wandering and searching in life with this stunning work, portrayed through a surreal yet stagnant visual atmosphere.
Main cast: Jeremy Irons [Damage][The House of the Spirits] – Academy Award-winning actor
Mélanie Laurent [Inglourious Basterds][Beginners]
Jack Huston [The Twilight Saga: Eclipse][Boardwalk Empire]
Martina Gedeck [The Lives of Others][The Good Shepherd]
The film is released on March 29.