The Hole

Set in Taiwan during the final days of 1999, this science fiction drama takes place amidst constant rain and a devastating plague that has killed most of the population. An unfinished plumbing repair leaves a large hole in the floor of an apartment, creating a physical opening between a man and the woman living directly below him. As the city faces evacuation and quarantine, the two neighbors develop an unusual relationship through this gap.

The film was directed by Tsai Ming-liang, marking the third of 13 films he has directed, following Vive L'Amour and preceding What Time Is It There?. The screenplay was written by Tsai Ming-liang and Pi-ying Yang. The main cast features Yang Kuei-Mei as the woman downstairs and Lee Kang-sheng as the man upstairs, with supporting roles played by Miao Tian, Hui-Chin Lin, Lin Kun-huei, and Tong Hsiang-Chu. A co-production between Taiwan and France, the movie was produced by Peggy Chiao and released on September 14, 1998. On TMDB, the film holds a rating of 7/10 based on 100 votes.