Black comedy “A Boy Named Flora A” and “Roseki,” a Hakka language series about a 1940s intellectual, topped the 53rd Golden Bell Awards Oct. 6 in Taipei City.
Taiwan’s equivalent to the Emmys paid tribute to the vividly portrayed characters in the seven-episode “A Boy Named Flora A.” Grabbing best television series, best actor, best supporting actor and best newcomer, the production revolves around a family dealing with an ailing grandmother who against the odds clings on to life.
The show is one of eight TV programs in the Q series launched by Q Place Creative Inc. and Taiwan Television Enterprise. The Q series, currently available to global viewers through Netflix, is a TV project sponsored by the Ministry of Culture aimed at fostering world-class audiovisual production talent and innovative Taiwan entertainment products.
Bagging five awards—the largest number of any show—including best actress, best supporting actress and best script was the 14-episode Hakka language “Roseki.”
Singer and author Lu He-ruo, regarded as one of Taiwan’s most famous intellectuals of the 1940s, was the show’s main character. The jury praised the government-funded Hakka TV production for offering a powerful portrayal of the social issues of that era.
Another highlight was Public Television Service’s “Days We Stared at the Sun II” winning best miniseries and best director of a miniseries. The sequel follows a group of high school friends as they become young adults and touches on subjects such as personal identity and cross-strait relations.
Organized by the Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development under the MOC, the awards attracted 1,876 submissions from 129 channels and production companies this year. (CPY-E)
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