Ang Lee and Hou Hsiao-Hsien Films Featured in TaiwanPlus Film Festival
This weekend, the biggest names in Chinese-language cinema will gather in Taipei for the Golden Horse Awards, one of the most prestigious film events in the world. With the Taiwan-based event under spotlight, TaiwanPlus has launched a free online film festival allowing viewers to experience nearly 90 years of Taiwanese history through film. The event, “An Island of Splendor – The Thousand Faces of Taiwan Cinema,” is an impressive collection of 23 films including internationally acclaimed works by Ang Lee, Hou Hsiao-Hsien, and Edward Yang.
Taiwan’s position as a regional pillar of democracy has allowed its film industry to thrive, and the nation’s directors regularly receive international praise. Among the films in the festival is Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s semi-autobiographical “A Time to Live, A Time to Die,” which won an award at the Berlin Film Festival for its powerful cinematography. Ang Lee’s first feature-length film, “Pushing Hands,” a cross-cultural and intergenerational drama, and “Terrorizers” by Edward Yang, a previous recipient of the Cannes Palme D’or, are also included in the collection.
TaiwanPlus Acting CEO Michael Yu explains that Taiwan’s cinema reflects the country’s complex social and political history. “The film festival gives our audience an opportunity to see Taiwan evolve from a unique angle: from colonial rule, to martial law, to today’s democratic society,” he says. “Showcasing Taiwanese film is an important element of TaiwanPlus’ mission to Bring Taiwan to the World and we look forward adding more film content to our platform in the future.”
The collection was curated through a collaboration with the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute and will be available on the TaiwanPlus website and app until October 2023. Upcoming TaiwanPlus film content includes the world premiere of a documentary on acclaimed director Tsai Ming-liang and a collection of his work.
