Abiding Nowhere

Slow-cinema legend Tsai Ming-liang continues his meditative, monastic Walking series with another hypnotic shrine to seeking transcendence in a chaotic world.

Abiding Nowhere is the 10th, and possibly final, entry in Tsai’s Walking series: dialogue-free works in which recurring collaborator Lee Kang-sheng walks so slowly that his movements border on imperceptible. Embodying the Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang, who traversed India and China, Lee is set in the middle of varied, often-bustling modern landscapes; here, he moves in and around Washington, DC, weaving through train stations, woods, suburban streets and among monuments.

From the famed Vive L’Amour (MIFF 1995) to the playful chair-themed short Where do you stand, Tsai Ming-Liang? (MIFF 2023), the minimalist master has been a singular festival staple, delivering everything from social fables (The Hole, MIFF 1999) to pornographic musicals (The Wayward Cloud, MIFF 2005) to inspired XR works (The Deserted, MIFF 2018). In his latest film, under the gaze of both onlookers and his preternaturally patient lens, he positions Lee as public-art performer and symbol of the Buddhist pursuit of enlightenment, slowly striving for the divine.

“Totally engrossing … Abiding Nowhere highlights the strength and potential of slow cinema. Tsai directly invites us to partake in the deliberate act of patient viewing.” – Loud and Clear