Connection by Fate

A-Te used to be a social movement fanatic. But after suffering the pain of divorce and the death of his child, he changed his profession and became a taxi driver. Ma Le, a young aboriginal man, came to Taipei alone to earn a living on construction sites. However, unable to bear the exploitation, and in a rage, Ma Le accidentally killed a site superintendent and was sentenced to death. A-Te gave Ma Le a ride in his taxi on the night that Ma Le committed the killing and their two fates were thereafter intertwined.

Directed by Wan Jen, Connection by Fate leans on a strong ensemble — Tsai Chen-nan, Ayal Komod, Chen Chiu-Yen — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 1998.