Maximum secrecy – including an omerta about the cast – was observed during the filming of “ The Chronicles of Libidoists ,” a Taiwanese film fable that is pitched as a modern-day retelling of “The Little Mermaid” fairy tale. A work-in-progress teaser in Cannes , however, disclosed that major Taiwan star Wu Kang-ren was the protagonist of the production which, now completed, seems certain to challenge censors worldwide. With the film poised for imminent commercial release in Taiwan and a series of autumn festival play dates being lined up, it is easy to see why the cloak of anonymity was required.
The other main players are Liu Chu-ping, Alisia Liang and Will Or. In Hans Christian Andersen’s original 19th century telling, “The Little Mermaid” was a tale of an impossible romance between a mermaid and a prince, involving love, betrayal, death and resurrection. Metaphors and allegorical meanings were plentiful.
In the hands of Yang Ya-che (“Blue Gate Crossing,” “Girlfriend, Boyfriend”), “The Chronicles of Libidoists” is an exploration of sex and sexuality pursued by a contemporary coterie of sophisticated urban dwellers. The sumptuously mounted film contains enough high-mindedness and hidden meaning (often conveyed through music and flowers) for art-house audiences to pick over, and enough story contextualize the sex scenes. But it does so with very few clothes and scarcely an orifice unprobed.
In pursuit of their overlapping goals, Wu’s businessma.
