Henry Tsai, the Golden Horse Award-winning screenwriter of “September Winds,” will direct “Spent Bullets,” a film adaptation of Tetsuya Terao’s acclaimed literary work, and the project was selected for presentation at the Taiwan Creative Content Fest (TCCF).
The film depicts Silicon Valley engineers Wu Yishan and Xiaohua traveling to Las Vegas to mourn their genius classmate Jiehen. During their highway trip, they must confront the intimacy, shame, and desire they once shared. This is a premise that explores the intersection of success, love, and relationships.
“I was fascinated by the plight of being a genius and the subtle, hard-to-define erotic relationship in the story,” Tsai said. “I wanted to tell a story on screen that explores the correlation between success and love.”
The director emphasized the emotional core of the film, saying, “No matter how successful or wealthy someone is, someone will love you for who you are. You deserve that love. And you know how to not only receive it, but also give it.”
The project, produced by Jacqueline W. Liu through Taipei-based Each Other Film, co-founded with Tiffany Yuchia Chen, is scheduled to begin principal photography in the United States in May 2026, followed by filming in Taiwan in June. The team is actively seeking funding and co-production partners at TCCF.
Each Other Films’ recent work includes the family drama “Little Big Women” (2020), the comedy series “The Accidental Influencer” (2024) and the romantic comedy “Penguin Girl” (2024).
Tsai has built a strong festival pedigree with short films. “Love After Time” was nominated for both the Golden Horse Award and the Sitges Film Festival, and “Live Stream from YUKI <3” was selected for the Sundance Film Festival, the Sitges Film Festival, and the Munich Film Festival. His short story "My Grandma" was also nominated for the Golden Horse Award.
The source of this information is Tetsuya Terao, a Taiwanese former Google software engineer who goes by a pen name and worked for the tech giant for eight years before turning to writing. His works “Spent Bullets” and “Overfitting” have won several literary awards. “Spent Bullets” has already been translated into English and Korean.
