Friday, February 16, 4:00 p.m.
The Museum of Modern Art
The Silent Teacher. 2017. Taiwan. Directed by Maso Chen. In Mandarin, Taiwanese; English subtitles. 73 min.
US premiere
Inside the morgue at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taipei, a man brushes his late wife’s hair while telling her about his day. Referring to the name given to bodies donated for medical research, The Silent Teacher tells the dual story of the Lin family’s grief over their lost matriarch, and the students who will learn how to be better doctors thanks to her selfless donation. Maso Chen’s thoughtful film seeks out the connection between the physical body and the soul within.
Selected for 2017 Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, this film will be presented at Doc Fortnight 2018, MoMA’s 17th annual international festival of nonfiction film, running from Feb 15 through 26, 2018.