Taipei readies for documentary film festival

2015/08/20

The third edition of Taipei Documentary Film Festival kicks off Sept. 18 at Huashan Spot Theater, showcasing the perseverance of peoples from around the world in the face of adversity.

Featuring 38 submissions from home and abroad, the event is themed Restless Mind of Turbulent Periods. It comprises six categories: Beyond Frontiers, Civil Disobedience, Crushing the Comfort Zone, Homeland Shaking, Looking Back on World War II and Senior Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability.

Tien Wei, deputy commissioner of organizer Taipei City Government’s Department of Cultural Affairs, said although the focus of the 10-day festival is the prevailing sense of insecurity and restlessness in modern times, the essence of the event centers on relations among people, society and the environment.

“It is important to take heart from the efforts of others and battle through the tough periods with a genuine sense of bravery and optimism.”

A total of 20 of the films are premiering in Taiwan at the festival, with many already winning prizes at international competitions. Lineup highlights include “After the Chaos” by Taiwan director Courbet Ke, and “Bugarach” by Sergi Cameron, Ventura Durall and Salvador Sunyer from Spain.

Ke’s piece shows how four youngsters suffering from schizophrenia are tackling difficulties in life via art therapy, while the work of the Spanish trio examines the strategies adopted by those wrestling with spiritual doubts stemming from fear of a possible apocalypse.

According to Tien, the event is going from strength to strength as documentaries continue performing well at the box office—a trend confirmed by the success of recent homegrown offerings “Beyond Beauty—Taiwan from Above” and “Go Grandriders!”

“The genre permeates people’s lives to enrich local culture while allowing cinema-goers the opportunity to experience worlds beyond their own,” he said.

Other activities scheduled include four pre-festival documentary-related seminars by leading film industry figures, members of the media and officials.

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=233969&ctNode=413)