Seven classic Taiwanese films restored by the Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute (影視聽中心) from the 1960s were screened in Japan for the first time on Oct. 2 as part of a collaboration between the two countries.
Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan joined hands with Taiwan Film and Audiovisual Institute to invite the program director of the Tokyo International Film Festival Ishizaka Kenji (石坂健治) to serve as the curator, and along with the Japan Society of Image Arts and Sciences, analyze Taiwanese-language films.
The opening film was "The Rice Dumpling Vendors (燒肉粽)" by the late director Hsin Chi (辛奇). Despite glitches in the film, the audience knew the effort that was put into the restoration process.
In a pre-recorded speech, Taiwan's Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) pointed out the significance of this event for screening renowned Taiwanese films for the first time in Japan through collective effort.
In a rare occasion, director of the Taiwan Film Institute Dr. Wang Chun-chi (王君琦) and director of the National Film Archive of Japan Hisashi Okajima (岡島尚志) communicated with the audience through pre-recorded videos.
Director of the Taiwan Film Institute Dr. Wang Chun-chi (王君琦) noted that early Taiwanese films started by imitating Japanese films and gradually developed their own cultural elements with Taiwanese characteristics.
As the director of the National Film Archive of Japan, a researcher of film history, an enthusiast for Taiwanese films, and a colleague who understands the hardship of film preservation, Hisashi said that it was a pleasure to carry out the screening event.
The other films screened at the event included "The Bride Who Returned From Hell (地獄新娘)," "Dangerous Youth (危險的青春)," "Foolish Bride, Naïve Bridegroom (三八新娘憨子婿)," "Six Suspects (六個嫌疑犯)," "Night of Sorrow (五月十三傷心夜)," and "The Husband's Secret (丈夫的秘密)."