The Ministry of Culture and the Asian Art Centre in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, are collaborating for the third time to launch a film series titled "Independent Taiwanese Documentary" from Nov. 3 to 9. With a series of documentary screening events, Q&A sessions with the directors, and lectures by scholars, the event aims to introduce the diverse environment and culture of Taiwan.
The event kicked off on Nov. 3 with director Kung Chun-hsiu's (洪淳修) latest work "Remember Me (金門留念)." Other featured films include the independent documentaries which were filmed in the 1960s "The Mountain (上山)" and "A Morning in Taipei (臺北之晨);" "Black Bear Forest (黑熊森林)" and "Whale Island (男人與他的海)," both films that highlight the relationship between Taiwan's natural environment and its people; and "Millets Back Home (好久不見德拉奇)" which depicts the vanishing tribal culture. In the films "Bridge Over Troubled Water (拔一條河)" and "Me and My Condemned Son (我的兒子是死刑犯)," different aspects of Taiwanese society are presented; while "Lokah Laqi (只要我長大)" juxtaposes drama with documentaries on Indigenous issues. All nine films will be presented with Lithuanian subtitles.
Local scholars are also invited to speak on issues related to Taiwan. Lecturer Balys Astrauskas from the Institute of Asian and Transcultural Studies, Associate Professor Konstantinas Andrijauskas from the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University, and director of the Cultural Division of the Taipei Representative Office in the UK Chen Pin-chuan (陳斌全) will give talks on the history, politics, and cinemas of Taiwan, allowing the Lithuanians to have a better understanding of the everyday life of Taiwanese people.
The Asian Art Centre is a Lithuanian nonprofit organization dedicated to the culture and art research of Japan, India, and other Asian countries, it has been supported by Vilnius University and the Vilnius City Government. For more information, please visit the official website of the Asian Art Centre.