The Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego hosted its third annual "Taiwan Cinema Spotlight” festival to highlight the pivotal role that LGBT themes have played in the recent development of Taiwanese cinema.
As internationalization of Taiwan's film industry takes place, same-sex romances and encounters have increasingly garnered global accolades for Taiwanese filmmakers. Moreover, such productions are credited with resurrecting local interest in Taiwan-made movies, marking an unprecedented development in LGBT cinema history.
The festival kicked off on June 25 with "Blue Gate Crossing (藍色大門)” and "The River (河流).” The former follows the emotional development of three high schoolers as they navigate the perils of adolescence, whereas the latter is another masterful portrayal of dystopian families by decorated director Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮).
The second day of the screenings were followed with "Boys for Beauty (美麗少年),” a 1999 documentary on a new generation of self-embracing members of Taiwan's LGBT community, and "Drifting Flowers (飄浪青春),” a honest depiction of gender-identity struggles in a conservative society.
The San Diego LGBT event was made possible by the Pacific Arts Movement, the Taiwan Cinema Toolkit, and the Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles.
‘Taiwan Cinema Spotlight: LGBT Cinema'