Set on the lively and picturesque streets of the capital of Taiwan, The Mad King of Taipei depicts the lives of common Taiwanese people who, in an attempt to leave the past behind, search for new hopes and dreams. In the film’s version of Taipei, the city is renowned for its three Ms: Movies, money (paper money scattered atop buildings), and the homeless “Mad King.” Xiao Hu, a storeowner in the Taipei’s bustling Ximen district, tries to make an honest living, but his carefree mother has made that difficult. However, she isn’t the only one. A local gang seems set on intimidating and bullying him. Luckily, however, the Mad King comes to his rescue. Consoling one another through their hard times and misfortune, the two eventually grow close and form an offbeat friendship. In retaliation to his meddling, the gang exposes the Mad King’s past and how, having lost his wife and child to an earthquake, he has come to live on the streets. The Mad King of Taipei was directed by Tien-Lun Yeh, who is best known for Night Market Hero (2011) and Twa-Tiu-Tiann (2014). (KANG Naeyoung)