2020 marks the 14th anniversary of the Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival. At this unprecedented time, we have decided to host our very first online film festival. The preparation stage was filled with many uncertainties. Without knowing what the future can be, we have decided to take it slow, to turn around and look into the past of Taiwanese films, and to look at those important figures who have been staying out of the spotlight up to this point.
Our thought process ultimately leads us to the two main themes of this year’s Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival. The first theme is to reintroduce the origins of Taiwanese films. In the feature film, Forever Love, Grandma’s amnesia symptom symbolizes the “collective amnesia” that the glorious achievement of Taiwanese language cinema was long forgotten in the cinema history of Taiwan. With the documentary, Archiving Time, the importance of cultural preservation is recognized again through the eyes of the restorers in Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute. The two classic Hokkien movies, The Fantasy of Deer Warrior and Foolish Bride, Naive Bridegroom, give us a bold opportunity to showcase the creative and open-mindedness inGolden Age of Taiwanese Cinema. The unique humor and political sarcasm in the first film, and the gender reversion in the other one, both powerfully and vigorously challenge the audience on the general stereotype of “the conservative tradition”. The two short films Onstage Appearance and Like Father, Like Daughter not only pay tribute to the aforementioned two classics, but also reflect the on-going issues in modern day Taiwanese: the difficulties in aquring fundings in a relatively smaller film industry, and the new family value in the era post the legitimacy of same-sex marriage.
The second theme is to introduce the people behind the scenes to the audience. In the documentary, A Foley Artist, the foley artists work in small recording studios, with their limitless imagination, to produce the special sound effects in film. In Nina Wu, the process of the actress audition reveals the reality of “dreaming to become a star”, with suppressions undertaken in the power hierarchy and the delicate psychological shifts of those so-called “failures” .
Thanks to Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute’s dedication to film restoration, and all the filmmakers, our guests, sponsors and community partners which still believe in us in this extraordinary time. With this year’s distinguished contents, we hope you would get to know more about the history of Taiwanese films and appreciate the unsung heros who have made continuous contributions in Taiwanese film industry.
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