The Skywalk Is Gone

Tsai's short, inspired by the unannounced demolition of the pedestrian overpass in Taipei where Hsiao Kang sold watches in What Time Is It There?, provides a bridge of its own between that film and Tsai's forthcoming feature. The missing skypass affects several lives. A middle-aged woman (Lu) has to struggle across the busy road with her heavy suitcase. A young woman (Chen) loses her way. And Hsiao Kang (Lee), deprived of his pitch, decides to audition for a part in an 'adult video'. Gnomic and gleefully unresolved, this patchwork of vignettes adds up to a sketch of present day city lives. It brings significant choices up against inconsequential events, implicitly challenging the viewer to be sure which is which.