Yi Yi (2000) Yi yi (original title)

Director:

Edward Yang

Writer:

Edward Yang (written by)

Release Date:

20 September 2000 (France)

Genre:

Drama | Music | Romance

Plot:

Each member of a family in Taipei asks hard questions about life's meaning as they live through everyday quandaries...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Taipei | Coma | Business | First Love

Awards:

10 wins & 11 nominations

Cast

Nien-Jen Wu	...	N.J.
Elaine Jin	...	Min-Min
Issei Ogata	...	Ota
Kelly Lee	...	Ting-Ting
Jonathan Chang	...	Yang-Yang
Hsi-Sheng Chen	...	Ah-Di
Su-Yun Ko	...	Sherry
Shu-shen Hsiao	...	Hsiao Yen
Adriene Lin	...	Li-Li
Pang Chang Yu	...	Fatty
Ru-Yun Tang	...	NJ's Mother
Shu-Yuan Hsu
Hsin-Yi Tseng	...	Yun-Yun
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Yiwen Chen
An-an Hsu
Lawrence Ko	...	The Soldier (as Yulun Ke)
Kai-Li Peng	...	Cellist in cello concert scene
Tsung Sheng Tang	...	Blue Shirt
Edward Yang	...	Pianist in cello concert scene

Directed by
Edward Yang

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Edward Yang		written by

Produced by
Shin'ya Kawai	....	associate producer
Osamu Kunota	....	associate producer
Yoshiko Okura	....	assistant producer
Michiyo Satô	....	assistant producer
Naoko Tsukeda	....	associate producer
Wei-yen Yu	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Kai-Li Peng

Cinematography by
Wei-han Yang

Film Editing by
Bo-Wen Chen

Production Design by
Peng

Makeup Department
Hua Kao	....	special makeup effects artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yu-Hui Wang	....	assistant director
Shih-Ping Yang	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Du-Che Tu	....	sound (as Du-Chih Du)

Camera and Electrical Department
Lung-Yu Lee	....	gaffer

Other crew
Tony Rayns	....	subtitles: English

Production Companies

• AtomFilms
• Nemuru Otoko Seisaku Iinkai
• Omega Project
• Pony Canyon

Distributors

• Diaphana Films (2000) (France) (theatrical)
• Golem Distribución (2001) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Kuzui Enterprises (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Národní Filmový Archiv (NFA) (2002) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Omuro Pictures (2000) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Upstream Pictures (2001) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• WinStar Cinema (2000) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2007) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• E Stars Films (2004) (China) (TV)
• Filmfreak Distributie (2002) (Netherlands) (VHS)
• Fox Lorber (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Madman Entertainment (2003) (Australia) (DVD)
• trigon-film (2004) (Switzerland) (DVD) (subtitled)

Also Known As:

"Yi yi" - Taiwan (original title)
"Yi Yi: A One and a Two..." - International (English title)

Runtime:

173 min

Country:

Taiwan | Japan

Language:

Mandarin | Hokkien | English | Japanese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Portugal:M/12 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIA | South Korea:All | Spain:13 | Sweden:7 | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Taipei City, Taiwan

Company:

AtomFilms

Trivia:

Issei Ogata's English dialog was re-written and even improvised during the shooting by Ogata himself. Yang wanted to have his Japanese character speaking realistically, not in the stereotypical manner Japanese characters in English-speaking films often do.

Quotes:

Ota:Why are we afraid of the first time? Every day in life is a first time. Every morning is new. We never live the same day twice. We're never afraid of getting up every morning. Why?

Movie Connections:

References Pretty Woman (1990)

Soundtrack:

Vaga luna, che inargenti

About as good as film can get

This is without a doubt the best film of 2000, a masterpiece of sublety and understatement. It is long--just under three hours--but during that three hours, the entire range of human experience is covered. It is about life--that's it. But, to make a statement about life, you have to illustrate it with lives, and this Yang does exquisitely. There is a tragic undercurrent running through this film, and while I was watching it I thought of Thoreau's observation that "most men lead lives of quiet desperation." Yet, in spite of the travails the film's characters undergo, it is ultimately a work of affirmation. This is about as good as the art of cinema can get.