''Cannot Live Without You'' () is a 2009 Taiwanese film directed by

Leon Dai Leon Dai (, born 27 July 1966) is a Taiwanese actor and film director. His film ''Cannot Live Without You'' was Taiwan's submission to the 82nd Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. The film also won two awards at the 46th Golden Hor ...

, a professional Taiwanese actor. It was his second film as a director. This film was also selected as the official entry for

82nd Academy Awards The 82nd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS), honored the best films of 2009 and took place on March 7, 2010, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m ...

for

Best Foreign Language Film This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards. Best Actor/Best Actress *See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...

. Dai also acted as the co-screenwriter and editor of the film. ''Cannot Live Without You'' was filmed entirely in black and white in digital format, then transferred to film for distribution. The film has a somewhat unconventional structure, beginning at the halfway point. It is based on a true story.

Plot

The story concerns a poor

Hakka The Hakka (), sometimes also referred to as Hakka Han, or Hakka Chinese, or Hakkas are a Han Chinese subgroup whose ancestral homes are chiefly in the Hakka-speaking provincial areas of Guangdong, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangxi, Sichuan, Hunan, Zhej ...

dock worker Li Wu Hsiung fighting to reclaim the custody of his seven-year-old girl. Unsuccessful and clinging to the faithful daughter, he threatens to jump off a bridge. As the film progresses, Li (played by the movie's co-screenwriter and first-time actor Akira Chen) gets embroiled in bureaucratic

red tape Red tape is an idiom referring to regulations or conformity to formal rules or standards which are claimed to be excessive, rigid or redundant, or to bureaucracy claimed to hinder or prevent action or decision-making. It is usually applied to g ...

and does all he can to get his daughter back from government institutional care.

Awards and nominations

46th Golden Horse Awards The 46th Golden Horse Awards was held on November 28, 2009. Nominations and winners Complete list of nominees and winners Best Feature Film Best Short Film Best Documentary Best Animation (Absentee) Best Director Best Leading Actor ...

* Won: Best Film * Won: Best Director (Leon Dai) * Won: Best Original Screenplay (Leon Dai and Akira Chen) * Won: The Outstanding Taiwanese Film of the Year * Nominated: Best Actor (Akira Chen) * Nominated: Best New Performer (Akira Chen) * Nominated: Best Art Direction (HuaTa-Hua) * Nominated: Best Editing (Leon Dai)

Asia-Pacific Film Festival The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific. The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954. History The festival was first held in Toky ...

* Won: Best Director (Leon Dai) * Won: Best cinematography (Chang Hsiang-yi)

Macau International Movie Festival The Macau International Movie Festival () is an international film festival that takes place in Macau, China. The first festival took place between December 26, 2009 and January 2, 2010. It was organized by mainland Chinese businessman Xu ...

* Won: Best Film

40th International Film Festival of India The 40th International Film Festival of India was held from November 23 - December 3, 2009 in Goa. Veteran actors Waheeda Rahman and Mammootty were the Chief guests for the edition. The 75 years of Assamese Cinema was celebrated by a special se ...

* Won: Golden Peacock (Best Film) Durban International Film Festival * Won: Best Feature Film

Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema The Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema (French: Festival international des cinémas d'Asie) is an annual special-interest film festival focusing on the cinemas of Asia. The festival is held annually in Vesoul, France. It was create ...

* Won: Best Film

References

External links

* {{IFFI Best Film Award, state=collapsed 2009 films Taiwanese drama films Films whose director won the Best Director Golden Horse Award