Taiwan cinematographer takes starring industry role

2016/03/28

Taiwan cinematographer Lee Ping-bin is emerging from behind the camera to take a leading role in inspiring his peers to strive for excellence and raise the profile of the island’s distinctive brand of cinema on the global stage.

Hailed as a master of light and shadow, Lee’s talents are a much sought-after commodity in world cinema. The last two decades saw him join with numerous art house luminaries like Japan’s Hirokazu Koreeda, Vietnam’s Tran Anh Hung and Hong Kong’s Wong Kar-wai.

Lee said his offerings reflect the creative development of Taiwan’s film industry. Born in 1954, the former maritime student began his filmmaking career at Central Pictures Corp., where he honed his cinematography skills and helped establish industry standards.

This period also saw the beginning of his successful collaboration with fellow southern Taiwan native Hou Hsiao-hsien, who won best director at Cannes in 2015 for “The Assassin.” For his camera work which reinvents the martial arts genre with this film, Lee added a Golden Horse Award—one of the most prestigious film festivals in Asia—to his stellar record.

These two icons of Taiwan new wave cinema first worked together over 30 years ago. Their partnership came to define the movement and launched a decade of films in the 1980s characterized by their realism and slow pace.

During his Silver Bear acceptance speech at last month’s Berlin International Film Festival for his outstanding contribution to cinematography on “Crosscurrent,” Lee attributed his success to his Taiwan upbringing and said he expects to give something back.

Looking ahead, Lee said he will use his role as chairman of Taipei Film Festival to further develop the local movie industry. His rich international experience and reputation are certain to help more of Taiwan’s aspiring filmmakers fulfill their potential.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=243353&ctNode=2194&mp=9)