Growing up, two-time Oscar winner Ang Lee's hometown was one of the major U.S. Air Force bases. Lee's hometown not only cradled his filmmaking dream, but also developed numerous critically acclaimed films from his talented compatriots, including the legendary Hou Hsiao-Hsien, whose works were exhibited at The Cinematheque earlier this year. This home is more than a land of military importance; it is a land of cinematic ingenuity. This land is called Taiwan.
Vancouver is home to the first large Canadian non-profit film festival dedicated to showcasing the best of Taiwanese films. Comprised of a group of passionate UBC students, UBC Literature Etc. (UBCLE) has been running the annual Taiwanese Film Festival (TWFF) since 2007 with the vision to promote Taiwanese cinema to the mainstream Canadian theatre goers who may or may not be familiar with Taiwanese arts and culture.
Lily Lin, a third-year English literature student who is a productions assistant of UBCLE, emphasized the transcendent nature of films and their ability to resonate with audience of all cultural backgrounds.
“[The films we screen are] not just culturally involved with Taiwan, they have themes that are universal. For example, one of the films [that we will be screening this year], Conspiracy, is based on the Arthur Miller play The Crucible … [so Western] viewers will be able to see the references and then see that [TWFF does] not just limit itself to Taiwan-specific themes, she said. "Audiences can also [be exposed to] other aspects of Taiwan’s land, life and its people.”
TWFF promotes the distinctive culture of Taiwan while implicating the commonality of mankind. According to Lin, this year’s feature film Beyond Beauty – Taiwan From Above is an aerial documentary that demonstrates Taiwan’s natural beauty, yet also strikes a note of sorrow with its display of the environmental damages impacting all Earth’s habitants.
Co-presenting with the Vancouver International Film Centre and the Taiwanese Canadian Cultural Society, UBCLE hopes this year’s TWFF will offer great entertainment and educational value as it has always have in the past.
Lin said the theme this year is Beyond Taiwan. “We wanted to do something with seeing Taiwan, but then also be able to go beyond Taiwan … Even though we’re looking at Taiwanese films, we will be addressing concerns that would affect all parts of the world -- for example, Vancouver.”
The Taiwanese Film Festival runs June 19-21 at Vancity Theatre. Tickets are $9 to $11 and can be purchased online.