View the film "YI YI." on your own, and then join the discussion on zoom. Free registration first to access the Zoom link.

Film and Discussion on Zoom with CAAN (Chinese Arts Alliance of Nashville)

Date & Time: Monday 12/8/2025 7 PM to 8 PM

View the film, "YI YI," before 12/8/2025, and then join the discussion on zoom.

Nashville's Belcourt Theater is playing 2000 Best Director Award winner, Edward Yang's "YI YI" on Sat Dec 6 at midnight, and Sun Dec 7 at 7:30 PM. You also can rent "YI YI" from Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, or Fandango at Home.

We invite the Belcourt Theater's Education and Engagement Director, Allison Inman, as the facilitator. This is one of her favorite films through her career in films.

What the critics said about "YI YI?"

From New​ York​ Times: “In exchange for three hours of your time, YI YI will give you more life…. Movies are an inherently, sometimes cheaply emotional medium, but it takes a lot to make a grown critic cry. As I watched the final credits of YI YI through bleary eyes, I struggled to identify the overpowering feeling that was making me tear up. Was it grief? Joy? Mirth? Yes, I decided, it was all of these. But mostly, it was gratitude.” —A.O. Scott, NYT Critic’s Pick

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: “It's a magical film — an exquisitely made and exceedingly wise family drama that communicates a touching sense of the universality of the human condition, and leaves us with the rich emotional satisfaction we just don't seem to get often at the movies anymore.” —William Arnold

About the Director: Edward Yang

Chinese Name: 楊德昌

November 6, 1947 - June 29, 2007 in Taiwan

Birthplace: Shanghai City

In 1974, Yang went to the U.S. to study electrical engineering at the University of Florida. After finishing his studies, he worked as a computer engineer in Seattle. During his seven years there, Yang was inspired to become a filmmaker after watching Werner Herzog's "Aguirre, Wrath of God," which made him realize that making a great film does not necessarily have to rely on a big budget.

Edward Yang was a filmmaker who illustrated the life of the middle class in a rapidly changing Taiwanese society through beautiful long shots. His 2000 feature "Yi Yi (一一)," which explores the urban life in Taipei, made him the first Taiwanese director to earn the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival.