The opening ceremony of the 2017 “Made in Taiwan” Film Festival took place on 11th May night at the Irish Film Institute (IFI) in Dublin. The globally renowned Taiwanese director Mr. Hou Hsiao-hsien was the invited Guest of Honour and the opening ceremony featured a screening of his award winning 2015 film; “The Assassin”. Approximately 300 people, including members of the Oireachtas, Ambassadors, city councillors, and dignitaries from business, education, culture, media and movies were in attendance for a wonderful occasion of cultural exchange.
Representative Tu spoke to the esteemed guests about Taiwan’s history of film making. He remarked that the Taipei Representative Office in Ireland strives to promote cooperation between Taiwan and Ireland and to enhance mutual understanding between the two countries through cultural exchange. Representative Tu spoke that Taiwan's film began in the early 1900s and developed its own unique style after the Second World War. In the 1960s, romantic dramas and martial arts films became increasingly popular while Taiwanese New Wave Cinema developed in the 1980s. Mr. Hou’s “A City of Sadness” and later Ang Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” are often considered masterpieces that brought Taiwanese cinema to global attention. More recently, “Cape No. 7” directed by Wei, Te-Sheng, became the highest grossing Taiwanese film of all-time, leading to a renaissance in Taiwanese cinema.
Representative Tu extended his thanks to Mr. Hou Hsiao-hsien and his long-time collaborator; Ms. Chu Tien-wen, for their attendance at the event and welcomed their coming to Ireland. He also thanked the Ministry of Culture, the co-organizers, the IFI and Overseas Taiwanese Community’s support.
Mr. Hou and Ms. Chu were joined at the cocktail reception afterward with Representative and Mrs. Tu and other VIPs.
The 2017 “Made in Taiwan” Film Festival will run from 11th-14th May in the IFI and will feature seven different films over the four days. “The Assassin” will be followed by “A Time to Live, A Time to Die”, “The Boys from Fengkuei” and “A City of Sadness”; all directed by Mr. Hou, while King Hu’s “A Touch of Zen”, Midi Z’s “The Road to Mandalay” and Hui-Chen Huang’s documentary; “Small Talk” will also be featured. In addition, six short animated films compiled by Dr. Chi-Sui Wang, Executive Curator of KuanDu International Animation Festival (KDIAF) and Taipei National University of the Arts will also be screened.
1: Representative Tu speaking at the opening Ceremony of the “Made in Taiwan” Film Festival.
2: Representative Tu with world-renowned Taiwanese Director Mr. Hou Hsiao-hsien (centre), Senator Gerry Horkan (second from left), Ms. Marie-Pierre Richard of the IFI (left) and Monsignor Piotr Tarnawski of the Apostolic Nunciature (right).
3: Mr. Hou Hsiao-hsien and his screenwriter Ms. Chu Tien-wen, participated in a Q&A session moderated by Mr. John Maguire (right) a well-known film critic with the “Sunday Business Post”.
4: A successful reception was held in the IFI after the event.