Spider Lilies (film)
Encyclopedia
Spider Lilies 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. It was released in the United States by Wolfe Video
on 6 May 2008.
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
.
, 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.
2007 in film
This is a list of major films released in 2007.-Top grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2007...
Taiwanese
Cinema of Taiwan
The history of Chinese-language cinema has three separate threads of development: Cinema of Hong Kong, Cinema of Mainland China and Cinema of Taiwan . Taiwanese cinema grew up outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.Taiwanese cinema is deeply rooted...
lesbian
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
. It is the second feature-length film by director Zero Chou
Zero Chou
-Life:Chou was born in Keelung, Taiwan in 1969. She earned a B.A. in Philosophy from National Chengchi University in 1992. She worked as a journalist before becoming an indie film director....
, and stars Rainie Yang
Rainie Yang
Rainie Yang , born June 4th, 1984, is a Taiwanese singer, Golden Bell Awards actress and talk show host.-Career:Yang began her career in 2000, as a member of Taiwanese quartet girl group 4 in Love, where she was given the stage name of Rainie, matching the weather theme of each member. The group's...
and Isabella Leong
Isabella Leong
Isabella Leong Lok-Sze is a Hong Kong-based actress and former singer.- Career :Her father was a descendant of a prominent Macanese family of Portuguese-English heritage, and her mother is Chinese...
in the lead roles. Spider Lilies was screened at the 2007 Berlin International Film Festival
Berlin International Film Festival
The Berlin International Film Festival , also called the Berlinale, is one of the world's leading film festivals and most reputable media events. It is held in Berlin, Germany. Founded in West Berlin in 1951, the festival has been celebrated annually in February since 1978...
, where it won the Teddy Award
Teddy Award
The Teddy Award is an international film award for films with LGBT topics, presented by an independent jury as an official award of the Berlin International Film Festival . Here, an "independent jury" implies that its members are not officially selected by the committee of the Berlinale...
for best feature film. It was released in the United States by Wolfe Video
Wolfe Video
Wolfe Video is the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films in North America.Founded in 1985 in New Almaden by Kathy Wolfe, the company began as a consumer mail order distribution company for lesbian VHS videos but has evolved over the years to become a full-service...
on 6 May 2008.
The theme song "小茉莉" Xiao Mo Li sang by Rainie Yang
Rainie Yang
Rainie Yang , born June 4th, 1984, is a Taiwanese singer, Golden Bell Awards actress and talk show host.-Career:Yang began her career in 2000, as a member of Taiwanese quartet girl group 4 in Love, where she was given the stage name of Rainie, matching the weather theme of each member. The group's...
was nominated in 2007 for Best Original Song at the 44th Golden Horse Awards
Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962, by Government Information Office, Republic of China...
.
Plot summary
Jade is a webcam girl, who broadcasts herself nightly on the internet to anonymous users. She seeks a tattooTattoo
A tattoo is made by inserting indelible ink into the dermis layer of the skin to change the pigment. Tattoos on humans are a type of body modification, and tattoos on other animals are most commonly used for identification purposes...
, which leads her to the studio of tattoo artist
Tattoo artist
A tattoo artist is an individual who applies permanent decorative tattoos, often in an established business called a tattoo shop, tattoo studio or tattoo parlour...
Takeko, who also happens to be Jade's childhood crush. Jade becomes entranced by a large tattoo of golden flowers—spider lilies
Lycoris (genus)
Lycoris is a genus of 13–20 species of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. They are native to eastern and southern Asia in Japan, southern Korea, eastern and southern China, northern Vietnam, northern Laos, northern Thailand, northern Burma, Nepal, northern...
—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.
Cast
- Rainie YangRainie YangRainie Yang , born June 4th, 1984, is a Taiwanese singer, Golden Bell Awards actress and talk show host.-Career:Yang began her career in 2000, as a member of Taiwanese quartet girl group 4 in Love, where she was given the stage name of Rainie, matching the weather theme of each member. The group's...
as Jade - Isabella LeongIsabella LeongIsabella Leong Lok-Sze is a Hong Kong-based actress and former singer.- Career :Her father was a descendant of a prominent Macanese family of Portuguese-English heritage, and her mother is Chinese...
as Takeko - Shen Jian-hung
- Kris Shie
- Shih Yuen-chien