A total of 73 Taiwan productions are screening at the 35th Travelling Film Festival in Rennes running through Feb. 27 in France, marking the largest showing of the country’s cinema ever put on by a French film festival, the Ministry of Culture said.
With support from Taiwan Cultural Center in Paris (CCTP) and New Taipei City-based Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute, the eight-day event showcases diverse facets of the country’s culture such as dance, martial arts and Indigenous groups, the MOC said.
Among the festival’s highlights is the retrospective “Taipei at the Cinema,” which brings together 15 films set in the capital including “Early Train From Taipei,” “Eat Drink Man Woman,” “Blue Gate Crossing” and Taiwan-France co-production “Pour la France,” the MOC said. The genres span Holo-language films of the 1960s, New Wave classics and contemporary works, reflecting the city’s development over time, the ministry added.
The event also spotlights films by masters Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang as well as rising stars Singing Chen, Midi Z and Lee Mi-mi, with analyses by filmmakers and cinema experts.
Organizers worked with local arts and cultural institutions to simultaneously hold an exhibition by photographer Shen Chao-liang, a concert by musical duo Twincussion and four lectures on Taiwanese cinema.
CCTP Director Hu Ching-fang said the exciting lineup exemplifies the creative strength of Taiwan filmmakers and is a fruitful result of long-term exchanges between Taiwan and France. To encourage local audiences to better understand Taiwan and its culture, participating educational institutions in the French region of Brittany are leading discussions about the films.
Taipei is the third Asian city to feature at the festival after Tokyo and Seoul. Established in 1990, it has already held editions highlighting Berlin, London, Montreal, New York, Rio de Janeiro and Rome. (YCH-E)
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