Esteemed Taiwanese director Ang Lee (李安) hailed the successful Golden Horse Awards ceremony after attending the event, which was held on Nov. 21 at the National Dr. Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei.
A physical event is deemed rare amid the global pandemic that has led a number of event cancellations and postponements. As of Nov. 23, Taiwan, with a population of over 23 million, has only registered a total of 619 confirmed COVID-19 cases, mostly imported, and seven deaths.
Lee, who served as chairman of the Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee, told the press that he was deeply touched. "I have been attending Golden Horse Awards ceremony for about thirty years and this edition (of the Golden Horse Film Awards) made a deep impression on me," the filmmaker said, adding that it is really touching to see how remarkable the event has turned out, particularly during this difficult time.
Lee said he has been living in the U.S. over the past few months, and during the time he has not seen any sizable gathering of people. It is truly an eye-opening experience to attend the event made possible by Taiwan's exceptional achievement in curbing the spread of COVID-19, the director went on.
Expressing his appreciation to the working crew and award juries, Lee said, as chairman of the Golden Horse Film Awards committee, he is proud that the award has been flourishing and full of vitality and he expects continuous support from people of all sectors.
Born in 1954 in Pingtung of Southern Taiwan, Lee is an Oscar-winning director whose films include "Pushing Hands (推手)" in 1991, "The Wedding Banquet (喜宴)" in 1992, "Sense and Sensibility" in 1995, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (臥虎藏龍)" in 2000, "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005, and "Life of Pi" in 2012.
For "The Wedding Banquet" and "Sense and Sensibility," Lee became a two-time winner of the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival.
In 2000, the filmmaker received four Oscars for "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Six years later, Lee became the first Asian director to win an Oscar Award for best director for "Brokeback Mountain."
Lee's latest film "Gemini Man" was released in 2019, featuring Will Smith.