"2019 East Asia Film Festival Ireland (EAFFI 2019) -- Taiwan Cinema Programme " was held on 12th-14th April 2019 in the Irish Film Institute (IFI), Dublin. This film festival featured three of Tsai Ming-liang's films, ‘The River,’ ‘I Don't Want to Sleep Alone,’ and ‘Your Face’ as well as a short film ‘Light’. In addition, the "A Family Tour" film produced by Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia was also shown during the festival.
The opening screening of ‘Your Face’ and ‘Light’ on 12th April attracted so many people from Irish political, educational, cultural, film and media sectors to attend. The internationally renowned Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-Liang, and his long-time collaborator, actor Lee Kang-Sheng also visited to Dublin in participation of the event.
In a speech made by Representative Pierre Yang in the opening ceremony, he said, with the democratisation process in Taiwan since the 1980s, the Taiwanese society has gradually demonstrated its multicultural heritage, freedom, and creativity, and has given filmmakers a liberal environment to make films. The so-called ‘Taiwan New Wave Cinema’ has risen. Furthermore, it has hugely influenced the development of Chinese language film industry. Since director Tsai lives in a free and democratic Taiwan, he can create a very personal style of film without any restriction.
Representative Yang further emphasized that Tsai Ming-Liang’s films do not lead us to evade reality, but instead lead us to face reality with a new perspective. As the great Irish writer Bernard Shaw said, "You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul." Director Tsai certainly practices Shaw’s ideals and invites the audience to face his soul with his films.
Tsai Ming-Liang (second from left) and Lee Kang-Sheng (first from left) took questions from the audiences, which was moderated by British film critic Tony Rayns (first from right).
From left to right, producer Wang Yun-lin, Representative Pierre Yang, director Tsai Ming-Liang and actor Lee Kang-Sheng.
