In cinema 11/21/2025

That Burning House

Shi Le Yuan

-

Genre

Drama

Director

Yin-chuan Tsai

Run time

2h 8min

Cast

Fandy Fan, Jing Hua Tseng, Chun Hao Hung

Select show
29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (07.11-23.11.2025)

Hurt kids in a Taiwanese children’s home with broken trust. A chance to break the cycle before it destroys them all.

In the Home of Happiness, which cares for abandoned children and orphans, a dedicated social worker tries to save a broken system. A bullied boy clings on to a teddy bear – and to hope. A former resident is caught up in a dangerous scam. As these stories converge, each character must confront past trauma and decide whether to succumb to darkness or fight for a better future.

Award-winning Taiwanese director and scriptwriter Yin-Chuan Tsai creates a raw, emotional journey about survival, connection, and finding light in the darkest of places. She is supported by an amazing cast of incredibly convincing young talents playing the children at the home, as well as superb performances by the adult actors. The film is based on Tsai’s own experiences as a social worker. She explains: “To reflect this vicious cycle, the film intertwines three interlinked stories that echo one another, creating a narrative that is both cohesive and compelling. Through this form, I hope to invite viewers to reflect on the structural problems within our society and on the delicate, often indescribable complexities of human nature.''

Nikolaj Nikitin

Genre

Drama

Director

Yin-chuan Tsai

Run time

2h 8min

Cast

Fandy Fan, Jing Hua Tseng, Chun Hao Hung

29th Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival (07.11-23.11.2025)

Hurt kids in a Taiwanese children’s home with broken trust. A chance to break the cycle before it destroys them all.

In the Home of Happiness, which cares for abandoned children and orphans, a dedicated social worker tries to save a broken system. A bullied boy clings on to a teddy bear – and to hope. A former resident is caught up in a dangerous scam. As these stories converge, each character must confront past trauma and decide whether to succumb to darkness or fight for a better future.

Award-winning Taiwanese director and scriptwriter Yin-Chuan Tsai creates a raw, emotional journey about survival, connection, and finding light in the darkest of places. She is supported by an amazing cast of incredibly convincing young talents playing the children at the home, as well as superb performances by the adult actors. The film is based on Tsai’s own experiences as a social worker. She explains: “To reflect this vicious cycle, the film intertwines three interlinked stories that echo one another, creating a narrative that is both cohesive and compelling. Through this form, I hope to invite viewers to reflect on the structural problems within our society and on the delicate, often indescribable complexities of human nature.''

Nikolaj Nikitin

Shows

Date
PÖFF 29

Artis

Saal 1

Buy ticket

Free seats

181

Date

Format

2D

Language

Chinese

Subtitles

English

Info

Rating

-

Production year

2025

Global distributor

--

Local distributor

Pimedate Ööde Filmifestival MTÜ

In cinema

11/21/2025