City of Pain
(Beiginq Chengshi)

In 1945, defeated Japan returned Taiwan to China. This marked the start of a dramatic period in which many wanted to liberate Taiwan from both colonialism and corrupt, incompetent, nationalist Chinese officers. But their dream was drowned in blood by the Chinese government in February 1947. The eldest member of the Lin family, the most conservative, is happy, like most people his age, with the return of the Nationalists. He runs a formerly Japanese-style establishment, which has been transformed into “Little Shanghai”. The third son, who served the Japanese as an interpreter, managed to return to Taiwan after the war, but, unable to rebuild his life, he became involved in drugs and the underworld. The younger brother, who accidentally lost his hearing as a child, has developed a rich sensitivity and a keen sense of justice. He owns a photography studio and associates with other young intellectuals. It is through the lives of the four brothers that the historical elements of this period are revealed.