Presented as an out-of-competition event at the 40th International Critics’ Week (SIC), as part of the Venice Film Festival, Orizzonti section.
A Dance in Vain
2025 - Drama
Monkey has been working behind the scenes of a theater company for years, struggling to survive in the big city. Day after day, her life feels trapped in a vicious cycle. In 2020, her boyfriend Leo had returned to his hometown and then took his own life, and his absence lingers like a shadow, haunting her every step, every breath. Caught in her routine, Monkey tries to reach out for help, to share the weight of her exhaustion. But the response is always the same: “You should show more gratitude. You’re already lucky.”
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Directed by Lee Hong-chiCast Cici WangWritten by Lee Hong-chi