Composed of three separate stories, the film vividly portrays Taiwan during the cold war period when the country developed its economy with help from the United States.
Hou Hsiao-hsien
Director
Wan Jen
Director
Tseng Chuang-Hsiang
Director
Wu Nien-jen
Writer

Chen Bo-zheng
Kun-shu (segment "The Sandwich Man")

Yang Li-yin
Ah-chu (segment "The Sandwich Man")
Tseng Kuo-feng
Theater Manager (segment "The Sandwich Man")
Lai Te-Nan
Kun-shu's Uncle (segment "The Sandwich Man")
Fu-yu Hou
Kun-shu's Son (segment "The Sandwich Man")

Tsui Fu-Sheng
Lee's Father (segment "Vicki's Hat")
Yu-Tze Chang
Vicki (segment "Vicki's Hat")
Ding Chin
Wang Wu-hsiung (segment "Vicki's Hat")
Ting-yi Fang
Lin Tsai-fa (segment "Vicki's Hat")
Girl in the Box67%
Won't Back Down61%
观音山68%
悲情城市74%
射雕英雄传:侠之大者71%
Bastard Out of Carolina71%
Gigi & Nate76%
Winged Creatures58%
Mansfield Park61%
The Safety of Objects65%
La joven69%
Eleanor the Great68%
TalhotBlond63%
得闲谨制69%
安眠旅舍75%
Hands of Stone66%
The Scarlet and the Black70%
春江水暖73%
狗阵71%
Starving in Suburbia65%