Skip to main content

Film festival in U.S. to feature films spotlighting Taiwan's journey toward democracy and freedom

  • Date:2020-11-06~2020-11-29
Film festival in U.S. to feature films spotlighting Taiwan's journey toward democracy and freedom

A total of 13 Taiwanese films will be presented online at the Freedom Crossing Film Festival (FCFF) from Nov. 6 to 29 via the inaugural event's website, serving objectives of showcasing Taiwan's journey toward democracy and freedom and broadening U.S. audiences' notion of freedom though Taiwan cinema.

The FCFF will present films of four different themes, including "Crossing Borders and Identities," "Crossing Faiths and Religions," "Crossing Life and Death," and "Crossing History and Memory," each week within the course of the festival. All films are geo-blocked to the U.S. and Canada.

The festival features four U.S. premieres of Taiwanese classics– "Wheel of Life (大輪迴, 1983)," "A Peking Opera Master in New York (艷陽樓, 2016)," "The Shepherds (牧者, 2018),"and "The Path of Destiny (不得不上路, 2017)." 

"The Wheel of Life," a joint venture by prestigious filmmakers King Hu (胡金銓), Lee Hsing (李行), and Pai Ching-jui (白景瑞), unfolds with geographical boundaries-transcending relationships that span three lifetimes. "A Peking Opera Master in New York," meanwhile, follows a New York-based Peking Opera grandmaster who strives to keep alive the art form.

"The Path of Destiny" is a film documenting a group of Sikawasay from the Amis tribe of Hualien Taiwan, known as the people who possess spirits.

Under the theme "Crossing Borders and Identities," the festival will present "ISVARA The Art and Life of Yu-Yu YANG (呦呦自在楊英風, 2018)" that details the life and artworks of renowned sculptor YuYu Yang, and "The Immortals' Play (神戲, 2016)" is a film that tells a story about Nguyen Ngoc Anh (阮安妮) – the first Taiwanese opera singer of Vietnamese origin.

On the second week, the festival will explore the tension between traditions and personal faith in Taiwan through the lens of different religious practices, showcasing "Dialogue with Beliefs (與信仰對話, 2018)," "Tsunma, Tsunma: My Summer with the Female Monastics of the Himalaya (尊瑪、尊瑪:我和她們在喜馬拉雅山的夏天, 2019)," "The Shepherds (牧者, 2017)," and "The Path of Destiny."

From Nov. 20 to 22, viewers in the U.S. and Canada will be able to watch "Our Happy Birthday (祝我好好孕, 2018)," "A Decision (一念, 2019)," and "Walking Dharma (如常, 2019)." 

"Our Happy Birthday" follows eight pregnant women in Taiwan who explore options other than the standard procedures of giving birth. "A Decision" discusses whether people under certain circumstances are entitled to end their lives.

"Walking Dharma," on the other hand, depicts efforts made by a group of anonymous heroes who offer helping hands to those less fortunate in Taiwan.

The lineup on the fourth week is composed of "Super Citizen Ko (超級大國民, 1994)," "The Tree Remembers (還有一些樹, 2019)" and "A Journey with Invisible Friends (看不見的臺灣, 2018)." 

Set against the backdrop of Taiwan's White Terror era, "Super Citizen Ko" portrays a challenging period of martial law from the 1950s to the 1980s, aimed at weeding out Communist spies.

"The Tree Remembers" explores the origin of racism in Malaysia, while "A Journey with Invisible Friends" sheds light on the less-known culture and customs in Taiwan.

Launched by the Freedom Crossing Institute, Freedom Crossing Film Festival is a stage for storytelling that nourishes free dialogue across all kinds of boundaries, according to its website.

Visit here for more information about the festival.