Eight Taiwan movies to be streamed online by 2021 GTI Taiwanese Film Week
The 2021 Taiwanese Film Week is online now. The film week will be held from Oct. 1-8 by the Global Taiwan Institute. It's GTI’s second annual virtual film festival.
From October 1-8, GTI will feature a diverse selection of eight Taiwanese films and documentaries, as well as Q&A sessions with the directors of two selected films. All will be streamed for free on Asiania (https://asiania.me/festival/206bd4d1-3930-4a2f-8b96-8975b4ae86bb).
Sponsored by the Spotlight Taiwan Via the 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 the audience from the United States to appreciate the prominent Taiwanese filmmakers’ works.
Please note that in order to register for each film, viewers need to create an account with Asiania. Make sure to register for each film in advance as some movies have limited capacity! Only those currently located in the United States will be able to watch the featured films. Q&A sessions with film directors will be accessible to viewers worldwide on GTI's website.
This festival includes an eclectic lineup of four feature films and four documentaries, which will be available for 24 hours each. Movies are listed below:
Friday, October 1, from 2 pm (ET): My Missing Valentine (消失的情人節)
This light-hearted romantic comedy tells the story of Hsiao-chi, a 29 year-old postal worker who longs to find her first love. As she faces day after day of boring routines and eccentric customers, she daydreams of romance. Hsiao-chi is finally shaken from her rut when a handsome stranger finally asks her out on the day before Valentine's Day. However, when she wakes up the next morning, she finds that Valentine’s Day has mysteriously passed, leading her to search for her missing Valentine.
Saturday, October 2, from 2 pm (ET): Formosan B.B is Coming (黑熊來了)
In this stunning documentary, experienced mountaineer and director Chueh-Ming Mai traces the exploits of Professor Huang Mei-show, a leading expert on the Formosan Black Bear, as she studies these rare creatures in their natural habitat. As exciting as it is painful, the film documents the plight of a distinctive species on the edge of extinction. In doing so, it allows viewers to explore the beauty of the Taiwanese mountains, relate with the research teams’ passion for the bears, and gain a greater understanding of the painful ordeal bears all over the world experience.
Sunday, October 3, from 2 pm (ET): Dear Tenant (親愛的房客)
This drama tells the story of Lin Chian-i, a young man who has spent several years looking after his elderly landlord and her nine-year-old grandson. However, when his landlord unexpectedly passes away, Lin is cast into a web of suspicion, doubt, and grief. As he navigates a rapidly expanding investigation, Lin's role in the death becomes increasingly ambiguous. In depicting Lin's efforts to prove his innocence, Dear Tenant explores themes of homosexuality, prejudice, and the bonds between family. Critically acclaimed both domestically and internationally, this film won the 2020 Golden Horse Awards for best leading male role and best supporting female role. Please be advised that this film contains mature themes.
Monday, October 4, from 2 pm (ET): Sounds of Taiwan (聽見臺灣)
This musical documentary follows the journey of Bao Yuan-kai, a Chinese composer who has become one of Taiwan's leading musical figures. After being invited to Taiwan for a composing conference in 1994, Bao gradually developed a deep and abiding love for Taiwan's freedom and humanity. By depicting Bao's unique experiences and widely celebrated compositions, Sounds of Taiwan provides viewers with profound insights into Taiwanese music, culture, and political identity.
Tuesday, October 5, from 2 pm (ET): A Leg (腿)
This unique drama begins with a leg about to be amputated. The leg's owner is Tzu-han, a man who passed away unexpectedly after a seemingly routine surgery. Devastated, his wife Yu-ying is inspired to track down his missing leg. In doing so, she begins to recall moments from their marriage, from their first dance to the gradual collapse of their relationship. By retrieving the leg, Yu-ying hopes to properly bid farewell to the man she once loved. Only then can she begin her own journey by herself. Please be advised that this film contains mature themes.
Wednesday, October 6, from 2 pm (ET): Chen Uen (千年一問)
This fascinating documentary follows the life and works of Chen Uen, one of Asia's most celebrated comic artists. His work is renowned for his unique style that blends art forms of Chinese ink painting and western painting styles. An expansive film full of intimate interviews and unseen footage, Chen Uen charts Chen's illustrious career in Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, and Japan, all the while providing unique insights into Chen's artistic values, personal beliefs, and idiosyncratic style.
Thursday, October 7, from 2 pm (ET): Wild Sparrow (野雀之詩)
This domestic drama focuses on Han, a young boy who lives with his great grandmother in a small mountain town. When Han’s estranged mother asks him to return with her to the city, Han’s quiet life is disrupted as he is pulled into a world of violence, drugs, and dysfunction. Watching helplessly as his mother struggles through abuse and addiction, he begins to feel as trapped as the sparrows he once pitied in his mountain home. A tale of perseverance and pain, Wild Sparrow sheds light on the difficult lives of those on the fringes of Taiwanese society. Please be advised that this film contains mature themes.
Friday, October 8, from 2 pm (ET): Whale Island (男人與他的海)
In this beautifully-shot documentary, oceanic literature author Liao Hung-chi and underwater photographer Ray Chin take audiences on a journey into the seas that surround Taiwan. Despite Taiwan's geographic position as an island country, the people of Taiwan have a long, complex, and conflicted relationship with the sea. By exploring Taiwan’s waters and shedding light on their unique inhabitants,
For more information, please visit the 2021 GTI Taiwanese Film Week website: https://globaltaiwan.org/2021/09/2021-gti-taiwanese-film-week/?mc_cid=98ab8cb7eb&mc_eid=5f7c6f3205
