| Spider Lilies | |
|---|---|
Spider Lilies poster |
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| Traditional | 刺青 |
| Mandarin | Cì Qīng |
| Directed by | Zero Chou |
| Produced by | Lin Yun-hou |
| Written by | Singing Chen |
| Starring | Rainie Yang Isabella Leong Shen Jian-hung Kris Shie Shih Yuen-chien |
| Music by | Hwang Chien-hsun Chang Chien-yu |
| Cinematography | Hoho Liu |
| Editing by | Hsiao Ju-kuan |
| Distributed by | Central Motion Pictures Corporation |
| Release date(s) | 30 March 2007 12 April 2007 14 June 2007 6 May 2008 |
| Running time | 94 mins |
| Country | Republic of China (Taiwan) |
| Language | Mandarin |
Spider Lilies (Chinese: 刺青; pinyin: Cì Qīng; literally "Tattoo") is a 2007 Taiwanese lesbian drama film. It is the second feature-length film by director Zero Chou, and stars Rainie Yang and Isabella Leong in the lead roles. Spider Lilies was screened at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Teddy Award for best feature film.[1] It was released in the United States by Wolfe Video on 6 May 2008.[2]
The theme song "小茉莉" Xiao Mo Li sang by Rainie Yang was nominated in 2007 for Best Original Song at the 44th Golden Horse Awards.[3]
Contents |
Jade is a webcam girl, who broadcasts herself nightly on the internet to anonymous users. She seeks a tattoo, which leads her to the studio of tattoo artist Takeko, who also happens to be Jade's childhood crush. Jade becomes entranced by a large tattoo of golden flowers—spider lilies—on Takeko's arm. She wants the same design, but Takeko refuses, telling her that the flowers are cursed.
Takeko's father, who was killed in an earthquake, had the same tattoo on his arm. Her younger brother witnessed the incident and was traumatised by it, left with no memory except for the image of the flowers. Takeko decided to get the same tattoo, in the hope that it would help her brother's recovery.
Nevertheless, Takeko finds herself drawn to Jade, and begins designing a new tattoo for her.
Meanwhile, a young police officer is trying to ambush Jade and the rest of the girls working in the same website. However, he takes to speaking to her, listening to her childhood stories and connecting with her, thereby slowing down the investigation he is supposed to be working on. Eventually he falls in love with her, trying to tell her to get out before it's too late and before she's caught. He blurts out that he loves her, and Jade, mistaking him for Takeko, goes to her.
They make love and this causes Takeko to become distracted and forget to pick up her brother. Desperate and frightened, he goes out into the street looking for her, but is involved in a car accident. Just before his accident, he recovers his memory.
The policeman finally confesses his true identity to Jade and tells her that she must get offline immediately. She cries, realizing it was not Takeko whom she thought had confessed to her earlier.
Takeko finds her brother in the hospital, where he has slipped into a severe coma. Devastated and guilt-stricken, she sends a farewell message to Jade saying that she will not be able to finish Jade's tattoo. Jade receives Takeko's message and falls into a fit of weeping, utterly heartbroken.
Eventually, Takeko's brother awakes from his coma with his memory intact. A joyful Takeko sends Jade another message apologizing, and saying that she will wait for her in the tattoo shop. The last image of the film is some earlier footage of Jade, coming to meet Takeko.
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