Oscar-winning Taiwan film director Ang Lee will participate in a series of talks and meet fans in person this week, the ROC Ministry of Culture said May 3.
The MOC invited Lee, who arrived in Taipei City May 6, to speak at a May 9 New Lights of Taiwan Cinema news conference to give his views on how to boost the nation’s movie industry. The next day, he will join MOC Minister Lung Ying-tai for an appreciation of his life.
The final event of the series is a forum in Lee’s honor May 12 hosted by TV personality Sisy Chen, which will feature Taipei City Mayor Hau Lung-bin and Taichung City Mayor Jason Hu.
Lee shot most of his award-winning film “Life of Pi” in central Taiwan during a nine-month stay, receiving strong support from Taichung City Government.
“Taiwan has always been close to Ang Lee’s heart because early in his career he received encouragement and funds from the now defunct Government Information Office,” Lung said. The GIO ceased operations and handed over supervision of the nation’s film industry to the MOC May 20, 2012.
Lung went on to say that she was moved to hear Ang Lee say during his acceptance speech for his second Oscar for “Life of Pi” that “this movie could not have been made without Taiwan’s help,” when she gave an interview with the BBC in England.
Lee is expected to give Taiwan’s movie professionals an international perspective and bring up pragmatic ideas for the nation’s cultural policies. (SDH)
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