ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the discourses by which Hou Hsiao-hsien was transformed into a transnational auteur. It considers the circulation and reception of Wei Te-sheng's better known films, their invisibility within the European theatrical market, and the obstacles to this filmmaker's acquisition of the same degree of transnationality. Up to and including The Puppetmaster, Hou relied on local production and, presumably, funding, while from Good Men, Good Women to Flowers of Shanghai on regional production. With The Assassin, Hou has come back to local production, but this time around on worldwide theatrical release. Hou's films have always been seen as suitable for one festival as for another, however different the festivals and the films are perceived to be. Post-2000 reviews present Hou as a filmmaker who moves or can move across national borders and even class divides – from festival to festival, region to region, and from arthouse to more popular sectors of the market.
