TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A crime thriller starring David Duchovny and Sam Worthington is drawing on a real-life murder case.
Midi Z (趙德胤), the Myanmar-born, Taiwan-based filmmaker behind “Nina Wu” and “The Road to Mandalay,” is making his English-language debut with “The Exiles.” It is a Taiwan-US co-production filmed in Taipei and coastal areas of Taiwan, with about 90% of its dialogue in English, Variety reported.
The film is in early post-production, and Midi Z hopes to release it next year. The story follows a Westerner seeking a better life in Asia, where greed, rivalry, and ego ultimately lead to murder.
Alongside Worthington and Duchovny, Taiwanese actor Wu Ke-xi (吳可熙) — who co-wrote the screenplay with Midi Z — anchors the cast as the production blends art-house sensibilities with a noir overlay. The creative team includes cinematographer Ed Lachman, editor Hank Corwin, and composer Lim Giong (林強).
Midi Z said the plot of “The Exiles” was driven by a real crime, though he declined to provide further details about the case or where it happened. He also cited author Joseph Conrad’s “Heart of Darkness” as an influence.
“The story is inspired by a true crime I saw [a] few years ago in Southeast Asia, and the novel ‘Heart of Darkness’ is also part of the inspiration,” Midi Z told Variety.
“The Exiles” is being positioned as both an auteur-driven work and a marketable movie, with sales launched at the European Film Market and US rights handled by CAA. Its transnational cast and mostly English-language script are intended to provide local and international appeal.
Midi Z met Taiwanese auteur Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) in 2009 and was mentored by him, according to a Ministry of Culture biography. Hou also produced Midi Z’s short film “Huasin Incident” before the director made his “Homecoming Myanmar” trilogy.