The Global Taiwan Institute (GTI) will present “Taiwanese Film Week” to stream a diverse selection of Taiwanese films and documentaries from October 21 to October 29, 2020 via Vimeo On Demand. The film screenings will be complemented by Q&A sessions with directors of selected films, which will be livestreamed on YouTube. All screenings and Q&A sessions will be free of charge. Each film screening will require registration in advance in order to acquire the promotion code. For more information please visit the website at http://globaltaiwan.org/2020/10/gti-taiwanese-film-week/.
Sponsored by the Spotlight Taiwan Via Taiwan Academy Contact Points Project of the Ministry of Culture, Republic of China (Taiwan), the “Taiwanese Film Week” aims to highlight Taiwan’s diverse culture and unique heritage. The screenings also offer a rare opportunity for audience from the United States to appreciate the prominent Taiwanese filmmakers’ works.
Please make certain to submit your registration at http://globaltaiwan.org/2020/10/gti-taiwanese-film-week/ in advance as some movies will have limited capacity. Only those currently located in the United States will be able to watch the films. There are no geographic restrictions for the Q&A sessions with the directors.
The screened movies include:
Wednesday, October 21: Long Time No Sea (只有大海知道, 2019), an uplifting drama set among the indigenous Tao community from Orchid Island in Taiwan. Based on the life experiences of first-time feature writer-director Heather Tsui (also known as Tsui Yung-hui, 崔永徽), this tale of a newbie teacher from the city who prepares students for a dance competition sends strong but never didactic messages about the need to preserve traditional cultures and languages. Watch the trailer here.
Thursday, October 22: Detention (返校, 2019), a Taiwanese psychological horror film set during the era of White Terror in Taiwan. In 1962, the Taiwanese government declared martial law. Longing for freedom, Zhang organizes an underground book club with his fellow teachers and students, who all put their lives at risk. One night, two students, Fang and Wei, wake up in a storm and find themselves trapped in the school. While struggling to look for the way out, they unveil mysteries, which slowly reveal the dark past of the school. Watch the trailer here.
Friday, October 23: The Great Buddha+ (大佛普拉斯, 2017), a Taiwanese dark comedy which tells the story of Pickle, a night security guard at a statue factory. One day, when the television in the control room is broken, Pickle and his colleague Belly Button watch the footage recorded on their boss's dashcam and accidentally discover the boss's secret. It triggers a ridiculous chain reaction, in which a statue of Buddha plays a key role. Watch the trailer here.
Saturday, October 24: The Silent Teacher (那個靜默的陽光午後, 2017), a Taiwanese documentary. This documentary profiles Mrs. Lin, a dying woman who, upon passing, has donated her body to medical students for dissection. In Taiwanese medical schools, these corpses are known as “silent teachers.” Following Lin's final year, this documentary explores the mysteries of these teachers and their truths. Watch the trailer here.
Sunday, October 25: The Bold, the Corrupt, and the Beautiful (血觀音, 2017), a Taiwanese crime thriller. The film centers on Madame Tang, who colludes and mediates between the government and private businesses for the benefit of her family. When one such case does not go according to plan, an entire family close to Madame Tang falls victim to a gruesome murder. Ambition, desire, and lust eventually change Tang's relationships with her family. Watch the trailer here.
Monday, October 26: Wansei Back Home (灣生回家, 2015), a Taiwanese documentary. Wansei refers to Japanese who were born in Taiwan during the colonial period. After WWII, Wansei were repatriated to Japan. Since then, painful separation stories have arisen throughout Taiwan and Japan. Wansei Back Home took 12 years of field interviews and five years of filming production. It not only tells the stories of Wansei, but also tells stories of friendships and family ties, life's true meaning, and bravery when facing harsh adversity. Watch the trailer here.
Tuesday, October 27: The Receptionist (接線員, 2016), a Taiwanese drama set in London, which tells the story of an unemployed Taiwanese graduate who takes a job as a receptionist in an illegal massage parlour and learns how the women struggle to make their lives work in a world where danger and violence are always near. Watch the trailer here.
Wednesday, October 28: Small Talk (日常對話, 2017), is a Taiwanese documentary about a family of a very special kind. The film follows the director's efforts to understand her mother, a lesbian, Taoist spirit guide. Both extremely intimate and culturally revealing, the documentary explores themes of love, family, and faith. The mother earns a living as a spirit guide for the deceased at their funerals: she was never at home, always out and about with her girlfriends instead. The daughter now goes to great lengths to attempt to understand her mother. By exploring this complex relationship, the film manages to be of universal cultural significance and extremely intimate at the same time. Watch the trailer here.
*This list only includes confirmed films.
The full movie lineup, dates and details on the Q&A with directors, and registration instructions, please visit http://globaltaiwan.org/2020/10/gti-taiwanese-film-week/.(E)
