The fifth annual Taiwan Film Festival of Boston (TFFB) took place on September 23-24. TFFB is a non-profit organization established by a group of young professionals in Boston in 2019 with the goal of bringing Taiwan’s films to the U.S every year.
This year, TFFB selected six different films that have not been screened in American theaters or on streaming platforms to represent the 2023 theme “Faces of Life,”. They explored a variety of issues and professions as well as the multicultural nature of Taiwan, including “Day Off,” “Coo-Coo 043,” Can You Hear Me?”, “The Lucky Woman,” Blue Gate Crossing,” and “City of Lost Things.”
The opening film, “Day Off,” has been an award-winning movie since its release in March 2023. It was nominated and awarded at the Taipei Film Awards, Osaka Asian Film Festival, and Udine Far East Film Festival. The story was inspired by director Tien-Yu Fu’s mother and filmed in her childhood home. The film is about the long-time owner of a traditional barber shop, A-Rui. She stays true to her calling as a hairdresser by servicing her customers to the best of her abilities but she also offers support during their life and death events through her deep capacity for empathy.
Fu shared in the panel discussion after the showing: “There’s a lot of small stores in Taiwan. It is very common that the boss knows what you want without a word. I found that fascinating. Many people say that the most beautiful thing in Taiwan is human relationships. This is also what I want to express through this film, the subtle emotions and connection between human beings, this is the same no matter which country you are in.”
Fu told Sampan, “ This story actually is suitable for other different versions of barber shop culture and language. As a director, my job is to tell stories, the most important to make a film focused on creation. For young people who want to enter the film industry, don’t just dream and talk, take action!”
The second day of the festival featured two remarkable films by renowned Taiwanese director Chih-yen Yee, with a 12-year gap between their releases. “City of Lost Things,” which was blessed with substantial investment and produced over 13 years and released in 2018, won accolades, including the Golden Horse Award for Best Animated Feature Film and the Taipei Film Award for Outstanding Technical Award in 2020. The film’s international recognition, such as its participation in the Annecy Animation Film Festival in France, set a new milestone in Taiwan’s 3D animated cinema.
“City of Lost Things” explores the intersection of human beings and their environment, as well as self-value and aspirations. The film is about the 16-year-old teenager Leaf, who runs away from home to escape reality. He becomes lost and stumbles into the City of Lost Things. At the panel discussion, Yee said “There are many animated films that are outsourced to Taiwan, but none are representing Taiwan, which is very frustrating. That’s why I decided to make an animated film in Taiwan. After 13 years and 8 versions of this movie, I found that making an animated film isn’t better than making a reality movie, it encounters distinct difficulties.”
Yee also brought “Blue Gate Crossing” to the festival. It was Yee’s first teen film. It explored a common youth memory for many contemporary Taiwanese people. The film was screened in the “Directors’ Fortnight” section of the 55th Cannes Film Festival in 2002, and has also participated in many international film festivals. The film depicts the story of ignorant young love and growth between high school students Meng Kerou, Lin Yuezhen and Zhang Shihao. It’s a story of first love, capturing the essence of youthful love, its ambiguity, uncertainty, and allure. Importantly, the film transcends contemporary definitions of sexuality.
Yee revealed during the panel discussion: “I usually clean my desk before I start writing a story. One day I rediscovered a love letter I wrote to my high school classmates, this inspired the script. This film caused a huge response in the Taiwan LGBTQ+ community at the time, which I didn’t expect.” (Taiwan is the first Asian region to legalize same-sex marriage.)
Yee told Sampan, “The film market in Taiwan is very small. The relatively modest film industry is still dominated by Hollywood. If we want more people to better understand and recognize Taiwan’s cultures and identities, we must keep true to ourselves and tell Taiwanese stories!”
The Taiwan Film Festival of Boston offered a glimpse into Taiwan’s sense of diversity, democracy, and creativity. It provided the audience a unique opportunity to gain insight and memorable experiences through the different “Faces of Life” As Fu stated, “Through these myriad faces, we see ourselves more clearly. Common emotions and experiences are revealed through differences. When you watch a film in a theater, you are transported to these new and yet familiar words with the other people in the audience. Though each person experiences the story in their own way, films are able to create moments of unity as we laugh and cry together.”
Source: Taiwan Film Festival of Boston (TFFB)
