In 2019, the night in Hong Kong was cloaked in mesmerising beauty, but the landscape of everyday life was gradually changing. Perambulating the streets of Causeway Bay, Tsai Ming-Liang documented the city’s rhythm and ambience, along with an overpass, all the while an old song lingered in his mind.

On a sleepless night in Hong Kong, Tsai Ming-liang took to the streets to shoot this soothing urban lullaby. Inspired by the popular Chinese song we hear onscreen, The Night is a new short from a cinematic titan, whose glistening nocturnal vignettes unfurl like the negative of a half-remembered day.