Cover Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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Taiwanese actor Austin Lin talks about the importance of the cinema in the age of streaming platforms and how films offer overlooked perspectives on life
“People don’t usually associate me with being a chicken farmer living on the Taichung hillsides. They know me for my life in Taipei,” says Taiwanese actor Austin Lin. But in 2023 film Salli, he plays the brother of a lonely chicken farmer (played by Esther Liu Pin-yan); the pair lives together in a small Taichung village. When she falls for a scam on a dating app, this kick-starts a journey of self-discovery and finding love.
While the idea of him working with poultry may be at odds with his public person, Lin says it’s not really that far from reality. “I grew up mainly in Taipei, but also spent time in Taichung and Tainan, so I was familiar with their [simpler, agricultural] lifestyles,” he says. “My parents, like the characters in the film, had a stall at the wet market selling groceries. I didn’t need to do my research [for the role] by going to the market. I was very happy to interpret this character my way.”
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Above Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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The actor says this as an example of how movies reveal unexpected stories about people and places in unimaginable ways—the quality of the industry that he finds “the most magical”. So two months ago, when he was invited to attend the Asian Film Awards in Hong Kong as a youth ambassador, he was thrilled. “It’s a blessing to see outstanding productions by my contemporaries, and I always see great works from Asia presented at this festival every year. I’m delighted to be a part of the festival in the capacity of an ambassador this year so that I can promote it to more people,” he says. “I may not have my own film at the awards this year but it’s a great chance to exchanges ideas with people in the industry.”
One thing that he hopes to promote through his ambassadorship is the revival of the cinema. The 37-year-old, who started acting in 2007, notes how streaming platforms are becoming more popular as a means of watching movies, and moviemaking has become simpler as directors sometimes turn to iPhones as an option. He feels these changes encourage more people, especially those without an investor, to make movies. But at the same time, he emphasises the importance of going to the cinema.
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Above Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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“Watching a movie in a cinema is such a precious and important experience; even Sean Baker, director of [American romantic comedy-drama film] Anora, said so at his best director speech at the Oscars this year,” Lin says. “It’s like the gap between looking at a painting in an art museum and seeing its image on the phone screen. In the former, there are specific light and space designs and the painting is positioned at the optimal height for viewing. Once you enter the museum space, you’ve embarked on the journey of appreciating the art pieces.
“The cinema has the same effect. The details of colours, image, actors’ facial expressions, sound and music, all the details coming together offer you a visual experience and connection with the story that you can’t experience outside the cinema. What’s more, a lot of people can be present in the same space to enjoy watching the film.”
Above Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
Austin Lin (Photo: Tatler Hong Kong)
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Lin believes movies are also a way to discover different, overlooked perspectives on life. “In a movie, the director chooses what perspectives he or she wants us to see, be that by zooming in on a person’s face, which we don’t usually see even if we’re standing in front of a person; or by focusing on how a character fidgets to magnify his or her anxiety. Movies help you observe details in life.”
Coming up, Lin is producing What Is the Colour of the World in the Eyes of Dogs, a film that looks at life from a canine perspective. “Humans look at life by thinking ahead, looking back at the past or pausing at the moment. But animals’ perception is different,” he says, adding that even if he and the director are dog owners, “movies still provide that fresh perspective that we don’t normally see.
“Cinema is a lovely invention. As an audience member, I look forward to seeing unimaginable stories every time I walk into a cinema. As an actor, I do my best to tell every story well.”
Credits
Photography: Zed Leets
Photography Assistant: Carlos Hui
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Zabrina is the Senior Editor, Arts and Culture of Tatler Hong Kong. She specialises in performing arts, visual art and film. Her wanderlust was first fuelled by the Mighty Rovers Antarctica Expedition 2010. Over the years, she has interviewed A-list artists and filmmakers, including Oscar winners Chlóe Zhao and Tim Yip, Golden Horse winner Sylvia Chang, In the Mood for Love cinematographer Christopher Doyle, Pachinko author Min Jin Lee, and Coachella’s first Chinese solo singer Jackson Wang. She won gold at the WAN-IFRA Asian Media Awards for her 2021 feature on the waves of hate crimes targeting Asian Americans.
