Cover From left: Wu Kang-ren and Liu Chu-Ping in ‘The Chronicles of Libidoists’ (Photo: courtesy of Taiwan Cinema)
From left: Wu Kang-ren and Liu Chu-Ping in ‘The Chronicles of Libidoists’ (Photo: courtesy of Taiwan Cinema)
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One of boldest erotic movies in Taiwan’s cinematic history, the film starring Wu Kang-ren features sexually explicit scenes—and explores complex matters of the heart
Taiwanese actor Wu Kang-ren has already left his mark on the Asian film scene with his award-winning performances: think 2023’s crime drama Abang Adik, for which he won Golden Horse’s Best Actor, and 2023’s family drama Fly Me to the Moon, for which he defeated Tony Leung for Best Actor at Hong Kong Film Critics Society Award.
Surely, the actor has nothing more to prove, but he recently wowed cinephiles once again with The Chronicles of Libidoists, which is considered one of boldest erotic movies in Taiwan’s cinematic history—it’s R-rated in Taiwan. First released in Taiwan in June, it will be coming to Hong Kong on September 26. Wu, along with his co-stars Liu Chu-Ping, Alisia Liang and Will Or, deliver bold performances in steamy sex scenes; some involve 3P, SM, bondage and discipline.
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The erotic elements aside, the film discusses some serious social topics, such as sexual minority issues and the questioning of what love means in the digital age in contemporary Taiwan.
Directed by Yang Ya-che, the movie has also been celebrated for its poetic mise-en-scène: water as a metaphor for the flow of emotions; the landscape of caves in the shape of a vagina and the reference to the Buddhist concept of nirvana to refer to the state of orgasm.
A film still from ‘The Chronicles of Libidoists’ (Photo: courtesy of Taiwan Cinema)
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This is Wu’s first time starring in a movie that depicts nudity so explicitly. In a recent interview in Chinese media, he admitted he agreed to do the movie without reading the script and was shocked when he realised what the film was about.
Nonetheless, Wu, who plays a single father involved in multiple relationships, has taken on the challenging role with ease. “I didn’t question anything when I walked into the scene. I was in a very comfortable state,” he says in the same interview. “The actor’s psychological state is very important. If you hold yourself back, the audience will easily spot it. Films are very honest.”
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.
