The first ever ‘Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh’ is pleased to announce a programme of special events accompanying the ambitious film offer. The two Q&A sessions presented in collaboration with Scottish Documentary Institute and moderated by the Institute’s Director, Noé Mendelle, are:
Monday, 21 September at 10am UK time | live streamed HERE
Q&A session with NGUYEN Kim Hong (阮金紅) and TSAI Tsung-Lung (蔡崇隆), the director and producer of a documentary Out/Marriage is the first ever Taiwanese documentary filmed by a female immigrant. It is an autobiographical story of Kim-Hong who moved from Vietnam to Taiwan for marriage. After years of domestic abuse, she was forced to divorce and became a single mother to her young daughter. Overcoming the cultural and language barrier, Kim-Hong becomes a filmmaker and documents stories of four other women with very similar experiences. Forging a close connection with them, Kim-Hong presents a touching and powerful story offering a unique entry point to some of Taiwanese society’s most pressing issues. More information on the film here.
Kim-Hong and Tsung-Lung will reflect on their experience of shooting Out/Marriage and talk about their long-term interest in the South-eastern Asian immigrants in Taiwan and their social projects for this community. In the last few years, Kim-Hong has been running a community centre in Chia Yi (嘉義) which not only offers shelter for Vietnamese immigrants but also introduces Vietnamese culture to their Taiwanese born children and the wider public.
Wednesday, 23 September at 10am UK time | live streamed HERE
The second Q&A session features the director of The Mountain, SU Hung-En (蘇弘恩), who will talk about the inspiration behind the film, the exploration of identity and documentary films as a force for socio-political reforms.
Hung-En’s father is of Hoklo background while his mother comes from a Truku tribe in the eastern coast of Taiwan. His multi-ethnic identity gives him a unique perspective on the challenges that the indigenous people face. His earlier documentary, The Land, explores the issues surrounding land ownership by indigenous people in the era of mechanisation of agriculture.
Noé Mendelle, Director of the Scottish Documentary Institute said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh and to be able to discover new talent and be part of an open dialogue with Taiwanese filmmakers. Through their films, our Scottish audience will be able to reflect on the unique experience of living in Taiwan and what it means to build a lasting democracy.”
Curators create a story, narrative and even make an argument by choosing, arranging and presenting films as part of an event. Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh is very pleased to be able to offer a platform for three brilliant curators, each an expert in Taiwanese cinema, to share their professional experiences with wider audience.
Saturday, 26 September at 2pm UK time | live streamed HERE
In this panel discussion hosted by Cinetopia’s director Amanda Rogers, Wafa Ghermani, Chris Berry and Wang Yi share their thoughts on Taiwanese Hokkien-Language films, film noir and queer films.
Wafa Ghermani will discuss Taiwanese cult films with a special focus on the 70s and 80s film noir produced in the late 70s and 80s. Her PhD focused on Taiwan cinema and national identity from the Japanese colonial period to now. She currently works at the Cinémathèque Française and is a curator at many festivals and Taiwan film-related events such as Vesoul International Asian Film Festival, Warsaw Five Flavours Film Festival and Rencontres du cinéma taiwanais in Paris, among others.
Chris Berry will talk about his project “Taiwan’s Lost Commercial Cinema” and its two iterations in 2017 and 2020. He is a Professor of Film Studies at King’s College London and his research focuses on films from the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Chinese diaspora. His publications include Cinema and the National: China on Screen (with Mary Farquhar); TV China, and Mobile Cultures: New Media and Queer Asia.
Wang Yi is the director and programmer of Queer East Film Festival taking place in late September, which includes a “Made in Taiwan” section dedicated to Taiwanese queer films. He will argue the role of cinema in the civil rights movements in Taiwan and the unique position of Taiwan in the global LGBTQ+ movement. Queer East Film Festival is a newly founded initiative aiming to showcase rarely seen LGBTQ+ cinema from East and Southeast Asian countries and amplify the voices of the Asian community in the UK.
Cinetopia’s director Amanda Rogers said: “I am very much looking forward to hosting this exciting panel at the first Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh and facilitating a discussion with such an esteemed group of curators and experts on Taiwanese cinema. It is quite an honour for Cinetopia to be collaborating with the Taiwan Film Festival on this part of the programme, and I’m thrilled that this new Festival is offering an incredible lineup of Taiwanese films and curated discussions for our local film community.”
Audiences will have an opportunity to submit their questions for the Q&As and panel discussion by commenting on the live streams on YouTube or in advance on Twitter or Facebook by using #TaiwanFFE.
First ever and free to access Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh takes place digitally between 18 and 27 September at www.taiwanfilmfestival.org.uk. The ambitious programme features 20 carefully selected titles, including 10 UK premieres. With the earliest film from 1960, the Festival explores the cultural, societal and political changes in Taiwan throughout the decades. To ensure wide access to the Festival, all films are free to watch.
Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh is principally funded by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture with further support from Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute and Taiwan Cinema Toolkit.
