The Taipei Liaison Office in South Africa will launch the Taiwanese Film Festival at the North West University (Vaal Triangle Campus) on Wednesday 3 August 2010, at 6pm. The film festival, with free screening to the public, takes place at Old Mutual Building, on 4 and 5 August, at various times.
Taiwan’s film industry has been through some tough patches but has proved remarkably resilient . As the world becomes a global village, the Taiwanese films screening at the festival reflect the ever dynamic, but age old condition of what it is to be human – cutting across all barriers of race, class, culture and continent.
The Taipei Liaison Office believes these films will appeal to South Africans because of the two countries’ similar history and their respective struggles to become autonomous, independent peoples.
Legendary and acclaimed Taiwanese director Ang Lee’s Eat Drink, Man Woman will be screened at the launch. The film tells the story of a senior chef who lives with his three grown daughters and how their lives change due to certain events. It is an endearing family drama that examines food as not only physical sustenance but spiritual sustenance as well.
Of other films to be screened, one is much in the vein of gangster chronicles, as the title Gangster Rock suggests. Another film narrates the tale of a father who is in danger of losing his daughter because of his life as a vagrant, while Zoom Hunting is more of a mystery film.
Cape No.7 is somewhat of a historical drama that tells the story of Japanese Colonisation and love from a post colonial perspective.
