A young man is sleeping on a bus. Is he leaving or arriving? Either way, his hometown will gladly give him a place to return to. Tsai Ming-Liang heads to Laos, the homeland of Anong Houngheuangsy, who worked with him on Days (2020). Tsai brings his camera to capture the country’s landscape from his perspective. From an amusement park to crumbling buildings, religious sites, and marketplaces, as well as a family’s daily life and the sights and sounds of various places in Laos, Tsai gathers these images without hiding the fact that he is a stranger to this country. Perhaps this is because Back Home is a gift of a film, made for someone who has spent years by his side. Though a documentary, the film leaves traces of fiction in its opening and closing scenes. In the final shot, the camera focuses on a white towel placed on a neatly made bed. This scene, seemingly overlapping fiction and documentary, carries a perfect whisper of hometown. Back Home. (AHN Sihwan)

* Korean/English subtitles for this film are not provided upon the request of director even though the film includes a few dialogues in the original language.