THE DULL-ICE FLOWER © 2026 Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute
The Dull-Ice Flower: The soundtrack of an island
Yang Li-Kuo’s Taiwanese classic, considered one of the best films from the island, is making an appearance at Cannes Classics in a 2K restoration by Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute. The Dull-Ice Flower will be screened in the presence of cinematographer Mark Lee Ping-bing. It is also an opportunity for audiences to discover the film’s theme song, which has gained icon status in Taiwan.
In Taiwan, Lu Bing Hua is one of the most famous songs from the island. Since 1989 it has been played in schools and households alike, far beyond the confines of the film that spawned it. Lu Bing Hua refers to the lupine, a plant used as a natural fertilizer in tea fields because it feeds the soil when it dies. Unknown outside its borders, the film was voted the best Taiwanese film of all time as part of a survey by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (TFAI).
Yang Li-kuo tells the story of a child from the Taiwanese countryside in the 1960s, who was gifted at painting but excluded from taking part in a school competition by the mayor’s son. It is a candid portrayal of rural poverty and the injustice of the education system. The screenplay is by Wu Nien-jen, a key figure of the Taiwanese New Wave and co-screenwriter to Hou Hsiao-hsien, while Mark Lee Ping-bing is entrusted with the cinematography, later lighting up screens in Wong kar-Wai’s In the Mood for Love.
The original 35mm negative was damaged, not only by mold and scratches, but by the fact that the picture and sound were out of sync because they came from different sources. The TFAI has restored the film in 2K while respecting the texture of the grain. This is the first Taiwanese restoration for Cannes Classics since King Hu’s A Touch of Zen in 2015.
