Synopsis: 

 

In 1945, the Second World War has ended but the tranquil is short-lived. The four sons of the Lin family have become unwitting witnesses to history through their own life stories.

​

Wen-hsiung, the eldest son, supports his young family with a fledgling business. Wen-lung, the second brother, has not returned from the frontlines while the third brother Wen-liang survived the war, only to be severely traumatised. The youngest son, Wen-ching, is a deaf photographer. Although the latter could have lived a quaint life with his best friend’s sister, Hiromi, he is compelled to join the resistance against political tyranny. A City of Sadness is the first Taiwanese film to touch upon the February 28 Incident.