Tsai Chen-nan won the Best Actor award at the 8th Rome Asian Film Festival for his performance in the Taiwan film “Tears,” festival organizers announced July 19.
“It is great that the film has finally attracted some attention,” Tsai said upon learning the news.
The film jury recognized Tsai for his controlled manner of portraying a serious, emotionally repressed police officer haunted by a tortured past.
“For that I have to thank the director for letting me interpret the character in my own way,” Tsai said.
Directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Chen Wen-tang, “Tears” touches on the abuse of power by the police, including the widespread practice in former times of extorting confessions through torture.
The police officer played by Tsai makes individual efforts to right his past wrongs, which were tacitly permitted by the state apparatus.
According to the director, “Tears ” is the first part of a trilogy dealing with human rights violations and transitional justice.
In his career, Tsai has acted in many films by renowned directors, including Hou Hsiao-hsien’s “City of Sadness” and Wu Nien-chen’s “A Borrowed Life.”
“Tears” also took home the Best Film award in this year’s Taipei Film Festival. It was screened at South Korea’s 2009 Busan International Film Festival as well as the 2010 Singapore International Film Festival.
A total of eight Taiwanese films took part in the Rome Asian film fest, held July 14-17.
Among other winning films, the Philippines’ “Lola,” directed by Brilliante Mendoza, came away with Best Film; Hong Kong’s Ann Hui netted the prize of Best Director with her “Night and Fog”; and Kim Hye-ja from South Korea won Best Actress for her performance in “Mother.” (THN)