The Fourth Portrait
The Fourth Portrait
Chung Mong-Hong, 2010
Taiwan | Format: 35mm | 104 minutes
Caught between his prostitute mother and abusive stepfather, ten-year-old Xiang serves as a stoic witness to the cruelty and deception of the adult world. His only means of expression are the disturbing drawings he shares with his teacher — images which also contain clues to a family secret he has long been shouldering on his own. Deftly balancing pitch-black tragedy with surprising moments of warmth and humor, The Fourth Portrait reflects the complexity of rural Taiwan’s dark underbelly.
