Daughter of the Nile (1987)

Probably best known for his more recent critically acclaimed The Assassin (2015) which topped several best of the year polls (including Sight & Sound’s), director Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s 1987 coming of age tale was recently mentioned in said magazine, and prompted me to purchase a copy. It was a sound investment indeed; although I admired The Assassin greatly, it was a film I found hard to be drawn into. Daughter Of The Nile however, had the opposite effect. A young woman, Lin (brilliantly portrayed by Yang Lin) tries to keep her family afloat by working in a local KFC in contemporary Taipei. Her brother tries to make ends meet with a life of crime (frequently giving stolen gifts to Lin, most notably a Walkman that she cherishes), whilst their Dad is a mostly absent presence. Lin also has to take care of her younger sister who has also begun to steal things, following in her brothers’ footsteps. It’s a fantastic depiction of growing up; Lin manages to retain a social life with her friends (there’s one particularly excellent sequence with them all around a fire on the beach) as well as eventually having to juggle it with attempting to keep her brother and his gang out of trouble. There’s so much to admire and enjoy in Daughter Of The Nile, and although you might have to shell out to experience it, this is a strong recommendation. 8.3/10