18 (film) explained

18
Director:	Ho Ping
Country:	Taiwan
Cinematography:	Ho Ping
Music:	Jim Shum
Runtime:	104 minutes

18 is a 1993 Taiwanese experimental film directed by Ho Ping, written by Ho Ping and Kuo Cheng, based on Kuo Cheng's 1991 short story "God's Dice" (上帝的骰子).

The title refers to a popular Taiwanese gambling game played with 4 dice in a rice bowl, with the highest combination (called "18") containing 2 sixes and 2 of any identical number not six (i.e. 1166, 2266, 3366, 4466, and 5566).

Cast

• Wu Hsing-kuo as "Weirdo", probably a second-generation immigrant from mainland China who is a little confused about his identity.
• Lin Chi-lou as Weirdo's wife.
• Lin Chia-chen as Weirdo's young daughter who is too mature for her age.
• Lu Hsiao-fen as Mingzhu, a convenience store owner.
• Lu Hsiao-fen as Ah Kiu, a hotel owner.
• Tou Chung-hua as Ah Hai.
• Chen Hui-lou as Ah Kiu's old husband who came from mainland China around 1949.
• Sze Yu as Wu Sheng, an illegal immigrant from mainland China.

Awards and nominations

Award	Category	Individual	Result
30th Golden Horse Awards	Best Leading Actress	Lu Hsiao-Fen
	Best Adapted Screenplay	Kuo Cheng, Ho Ping
	Best Cinematography	Ho Ping
	Best Makeup & Costume Design	Fu Chang-feng, Roger Cheng
	Best Sound Effects	Jim Shum

The film won International Federation of Film Critics Prize during the 1993 Thessaloniki International Film Festival in Thessaloniki, Greece.