In Our Time (Chinese: 光陰的故事) is a 1982 Taiwanese anthology film directed by Edward Yang, Yi Chang, Ko I-Chen and Tao Te-Chen.

The vignettes explore various themes and genres, including drama, comedy, economics, and society, and showcase characters at different stages in their lives.

Yang's "Expectations" or "Desires"[4] episode follows a teenage girl who develops feelings for an older man staying at her house, leading to a love triangle.

Produced by the conservative Central Motion Picture Corporation, In Our Time marked director Edward Yang’s second feature film project, following a TV movie he directed a year prior.

In the 1970s, Taiwan's film industry was dominated by melodramas for nearly two decades until the import of Hong Kong cinema, which achieved tremendous commercial success.

Considering the decline in Taiwanese film industry, young intellectuals including Hsiao Yei and Wu Nien-jen recruited by the Central Motion Picture Corporation (CMPC), an official propaganda organization under the ruling KMT nationalist party, realized that Taiwan cinema was in need of innovation and embarked on a groundbreaking endeavor.

Enlisting a fresh new wave of young directors, they aimed to revolutionize the film landscape by defying the conventions of melodrama and introducing a new cinematic style.

A teenage girl, Hsiao-fang embarks on a journey of self-discovery and navigates her budding romantic feelings for an older university student who is boarding with her family.

The film provides a glimpse into the societal characteristics of its era, reflecting factors such as industrialization, the influence of the Cold War, and the impact of American pop culture.

The choice of "Expectation" as the title of his directorial debut is a deliberate self-declaration, demonstrating his artistic vision and his intention to make a statement society.

His father, a real estate company owner, wants him to transfer to major in architecture and inherit his position, but Fatty is only interested in philosophy and computer science.

Here, "reality" is no longer depicted as static as in the previous film movement Healthy Realism, but rather as a collection of dynamic conditions in which cinema plays a crucial and active role.

[7] Film scholar June Yip highlights how the collaborative nature of In Our Time, where a group of young filmmakers dared to explore innovative approaches to cinematography, lighting, editing, and sound design within the established studio system.

His contributions to sound design and recording techniques earned him recognition and led to a close working relationship with Edward Yang and Hou Hsiao-hsien.