Five documentaries based on this year's Presidential Culture Awards winners will be broadcasted in January next year. Among the winners include internationally renowned director Ang Lee (李安), who accepted the General Association of Chinese Culture (GACC)'s offer to make a personal documentary for the first time.
In the 11th Presidential Culture Awards that took place in November this year, President Tsai Ing-wen personally presented the awards to the winners. GACC stated on Dec. 24 that in order to acknowledge the contributions of the five winners, it will be producing documentaries themed around them. Starting on Dec. 25, it will be broadcasting one documentary on one winner for five consecutive Saturdays.
The five winners awarded this year include film director Ang Lee (李安), physician Chen Rong-chi (陳榮基), founder of HRC Dance Studio (HRC舞蹈工作室) Bojin Chen (陳柏均), the Dr. Chen Wen-chen Memorial Foundation (財團法人陳文成博士紀念基金會), and the Taiwan Thousand Miles Trail Association (社團法人台灣千里步道協會).
In the documentary, Ang Lee talks freely about his interest in dreaming. He visualizes the dream as a movie, and then stimulates the audience to have their own dreams, which in turn allows for a deeper connection. He also noted that he is a typical amalgamation of different cultures, the roots of which were cultivated in Taiwan. "I am very proud of this aspect of myself," Lee said.
Ang Lee also pointed out in the documentary that he did not practice martial arts, yet was able to shoot "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," he was able to make war films without having fought in war, and made films about India without knowing about India. "I don’t know what that power is, or how it came about. I think Taiwan's environment must have nourished me."
Ang Lee pointed out that since Taiwan is an island, it absorbs many different kinds of cultures, and it has nurtured him and given him the courage to dream.
GACC stated that after the five documentaries are broadcast on Taiwanese television, the latest documentaries will be available on GACC's YouTube channel at 7 pm every Saturday until Jan. 22.