In 1944, during World War II, as Japanese soldiers traveled through the colonial Taiwan on their way to battle in Southeast Asia, a saying spread: "When you get to Chiayi, be sure to call me…". Iwakuro Hiromi, who had become an officer, was once the captain of Japan's "Sapporo Commercial Baseball Team", and he could never forget how his team had suffered a crushing defeat at the Koshien Stadium against the then-obscure "Chiayi Agricultural and Forestry Baseball Team" from Taiwan. Fourteen years later, Iwakuro was determined to visit Chiayi...
Let the glorious memories of Chiayi Agriculture revive the passion and emotion within us all. (Photo provided by Kaohsiung City Government Cultural Affairs Bureau)
In 1929, in Japanese-colonized Taiwan, a baseball team called Chiayi Agriculture was formed by Han Chinese, ethnic Japanese, and indigenous peoples. Originally just an ordinary club aimed at physical fitness, everything changed with the arrival of the new coach Kondo Hyotaro (played by Masatoshi Nagase), who, adhering to the principle of selecting talent regardless of ethnicity, reorganized the team and set the goal of "advancing to Koshien". With a Spartan-style, rigorous training approach, he reshaped the players. The once undisciplined Chiayi Agriculture team gradually ignited a desire to win and a determination to reach Koshien under Kondo’s over year of hellish training and repeated defeats. In 1931, they fought their way through every round to become the first baseball team south of the Zhuoshui River to win the national championship. At the same time, the vastly influential Jiasian Irrigation System was also completed. Amidst an atmosphere of prosperity, Chiayi Agriculture was to represent Taiwan in Japan.
However, once standing on the black soil of Koshien, Chiayi’s players faced their greatest challenge yet. One match after another led to an injury to ace pitcher Wu Ming-Chieh’s finger, but enduring the pain in silence, he continued to pitch. In front of a crowd of more than 55,000, facing Japan’s strongest team, Chukyo, the pain in his finger caused him to throw numerous unintentional walks. The audience was stunned. Faced with an angry and exasperated Kondo, Wu Ming-Chieh asked to finish this final battle. His determination moved Kondo, and his teammates also resolved to help Wu Ming-Chieh realize his dream.
Wu Ming-Chieh used the black soil of Koshien to stop the bleeding, but not the opponent’s attacks. Suddenly, a teammate shouted: "Just pitch it to them, we’ll do our best to block it!" "Go ahead and pitch—after all, we’re Chiayi Agriculture from Taiwan!" Amidst the stunned silence of the spectators, Wu Ming-Chieh gritted his teeth and pitched fastball after fastball, while each time a teammate blocked a ball, they yelled out "Welcome!" The scene moved all in attendance and inspired the people of Taiwan listening to the broadcast back home. Coach Kondo watched as his once-young players had now grown into indomitable fighters, and he seemed to feel something deep in his heart...
Japanese writer Kikuchi Kan once said: "I have become a complete supporter of Chiayi Agriculture. Their sight of different ethnicities fighting for the same goal on the field truly moved me to tears!" Regardless of the outcome of the game, Chiayi Agriculture had already made history, but by fearlessly challenging themselves, they unknowingly achieved a true victory.
From afar, Iwakuro’s passionate voice rang out from the stands: "Hero... battlefield... the world... Chiayi Agriculture..."
KANO
KANO
Release Date: 2014-02-27
Duration: Not provided
Director: Wei Te-Sheng
Cast: Masatoshi Nagase ("The Flowers of Evil"), Takao Osawa ("Jin"), Makiko Esumi ("No Longer Human"), Togo Igawa ("The Last Samurai")
August: Osage County
August: Osage County
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Gravity
GRAVITY
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Release Date: 2014-02-27
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
Director: John Wells
Cast: Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Ewan McGregor, Chris Cooper, Benedict Cumberbatch, Abigail Breslin
A family tragedy reunites long-separated relatives under one roof – complex and intertwined family issues make the sweltering August unbearable
Violet Weston (played by Meryl Streep) is a stubborn, drug-addicted, and hot-tempered matriarch of a Western American family. After her husband drowns unexpectedly, she becomes the domineering head of the household. Her children, who have been away for years, return to their old home in Osage County, Oklahoma, each with their own life struggles, due to the sudden tragedy. The already disharmonious family faces the reunion, and all conflicts threaten to erupt. How will they face each other?
This Western family spanning three generations, *August: Osage County*, examines the intense emotional storms that can arise under one roof from various perspectives – parent-child, couples, siblings... The family members returning to Osage County for the funeral each carry hidden family disputes and emotional issues. Add to that the overbearing presence of Violet Weston, who suffers from severe drug addiction and speaks sharply without restraint, and things go from bad to worse. Especially her interactions with her eldest daughter Barbara (played by Julia Roberts), who shares her volatile temperament and strong personality, result in emotionally charged confrontations.
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Release Date: 2014-02-27
Duration: 1 hour 31 minutes
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Cast: George Clooney, Sandra Bullock
*Gravity*, starring two-time Oscar winners Sandra Bullock (*The Blind Side*, *The Proposal*) and George Clooney (*Up in the Air*, *Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy*), and directed by Oscar-nominated director Alfonso Cuarón (*Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban*), is a thrilling suspense film that pulls you deep into the infinite and unforgiving void of space.
Dr. Ryan Stone (played by Sandra Bullock) is an outstanding medical engineer on her first space mission; veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) accompanies her on what is to be his final spaceflight before retirement. Unfortunately, during what should have been a routine spacewalk, disaster strikes—the shuttle is destroyed, leaving Ryan and Matt suddenly stranded and drifting in the darkness.
The surrounding silence signals that they’ve lost all contact with Earth—and any chance of rescue. With each breath consuming the little oxygen they have left, their fear gradually turns to panic.
However, the only way for them to return home may be to venture even deeper into the vast and terrifying expanse of space.
Gravity was written by Alfonso Cuarón and Jonás Cuarón, produced by Alfonso Cuarón and David Heyman (of the Harry Potter film series), executive produced by Stephen Jones (Knowing), and co-produced by Nikki Penny (Clash of the Titans).
The creative behind-the-scenes team includes cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki (nominated for multiple Oscars for Children of Men and The New World); production designer Andy Nicholson (supervising art director for Alice in Wonderland); editor Mark Sanger (visual effects editor for Alice in Wonderland); and costume designer Jenny Beavan (Harry Potter film series). Oscar-nominated visual effects supervisor Timothy Webber (The Dark Knight) and Oscar-winning special effects supervisor Neil Corbould (Gladiator) were responsible for the film’s visual effects.
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Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
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Guilt Love
The Past
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Release Date: 2014-02-27
Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes
Director: Rob Minkoff (The Lion King)
Cast: (Voice) Ty Burrell, Max Charles
DreamWorks Animation’s brand-new adventure Mr. Peabody & Sherman, released in 2014, is once again making waves with its delightful content. Mr. Peabody is not only a business tycoon, inventor, scientist, Nobel Prize winner, food connoisseur, Olympic champion, and brilliant genius—he’s also a dog.
The story follows Mr. Peabody and his adopted human son Sherman as they embark on an epic adventure in their time-traveling invention, visiting key historical periods and witnessing pivotal moments in history. But when Sherman accidentally disrupts the timeline during their journey through time, how will they fix history before the future is jeopardized?
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Release Date: 2014-02-27
Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes
Director: Asghar Farhadi (A Separation)
Cast: Bérénice Bejo (The Artist), Tahar Rahim (A Prophet), Ali Mosaffa (The Patience Stone)
An Iranian man caught in a long-standing family conflict with his French wife abandons her and their two children to return to Iran. Meanwhile, his French wife begins dating another man and writes to him requesting a divorce. The Iranian man is then forced to return to France. In his French home, he encounters his wife’s new boyfriend—but the two children are nowhere to be found...
Directed by Asghar Farhadi, who won the Golden Bear and Best Actor and Actress awards at the Berlin Film Festival for A Separation, along with nearly sixty international accolades including Golden Globe and Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, Guilt Love is set to once again delve into the conflicts between family and individual, nationality and identity, as well as those overlooked issues and stories that exist all around us.
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300: Rise of an Empire
300: RISE OF AN EMPIRE
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A Touch of Sin
A Touch of Sin
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Release Date: 2014-03-07
Duration: 1 hour 43 minutes
Director: Noam Murro
Cast: Sullivan Stapleton, Eva Green
300: Rise of an Empire, based on Frank Miller’s latest graphic novel Xerxes, continues the visually groundbreaking saga of 300: Rise of an Spartan with a new chapter of this epic legend. This time, the story unfolds on an unprecedented naval battlefield, where Greek general Themistocles vows to defend Greece against the invading Persian forces and leads what will become a world-changing naval assault.
General Themistocles commands the Greek fleet as thousands of Persian warships advance relentlessly under the personal leadership of Persian Emperor Xerxes, whose ranks include the vengeful female naval commander Artemisia.
The action-adventure cast includes Sullivan Stapleton (Gangster Squad) as Greek commander Themistocles; Eva Green (Dark Shadows, Casino Royale) as Persian warrior Artemisia; Lena Headey reprising her role as Spartan Queen Gorgo from 300; and Rodrigo Santoro as Persian Emperor Xerxes.
The film is directed by Noam Murro, written by Zack Snyder and Kurt Johnstad, and produced by Gianni Nunnari, Mark Canton, Zack Snyder, Deborah Snyder, and Bernie Goldmann. Executive producers include Thomas Tull, Frank Miller, Stephen Jones, and Jon Jashni.
The creative team includes director of photography Simon Duggan, production designer Patrick Tatopoulos, editor Wyatt Smith, and costume designer Alexandra Byrne. The score is composed by Junkie XL.
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Release Date: 2014-03-07
Duration: 2 hours 09 minutes
Director: Jia Zhang-Ke (《Still Life》)
Cast: Jiang Wu (《Let the Bullets Fly》), Zhao Tao (《24 City》), Wang Baoqiang (《A World Without Thieves》), Luo Lanshan
A passionate man named Dahai refuses to stand by as corrupt officials and businessmen privatize the village coal mine. He chooses radical protest, traveling around to expose the crimes. San’er drifts alone in the outside world and returns home for Spring Festival with the money he’s earned. The quiet and reserved man believes only the gun in his hand truly understands him. Xiaoyu, a front desk clerk at a bathhouse, loves a married man far away and is convinced their relationship will blossom. The young Xiaohui comes to Shenzhen, hoping to realize his dreams and start a happy life in this glamorous city.
Four real-life events weave into one story, and four ordinary people reflect the state of society. Each struggles through life’s hardships and, almost imperceptibly, their paths cross—using the most dramatic means to carve out their own chivalrous world.
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