New Taipei City gears up for documentary film festival

2015/10/15

The New Taipei City Documentary Film Festival kicks off Oct. 18 at Fuzhong 15 in Banqiao District, showcasing the richness and vibrancy of this emerging movie genre in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

A total of 18 documentaries will be screened during the one-week event, including 10 winning pieces from this year’s NTC Documentary Awards and six from Hong Kong’s 2015 Chinese Documentary Festival, as well as another two produced, respectively, by the National Geographic Channel and Public Television Service.

Lin Chieh-yu, commissioner of the New Taipei City Government’s Information Department, said the event is going from strength to strength as mainstream cinemas become more willing to show documentaries. “This illustrates the local government’s tireless efforts in promoting them.

“The festival also serves as a platform for filmmakers in Taiwan and Hong Kong to share experiences and exchange ideas, further providing local directors with an opportunity to shine on the global stage.”

This year’s themes center on environmental protection, illegal immigrants, the medical system, national identity, aging populations and social movements, according to NTCG.

One festival highlight is “Landscape of Rubbish” by Taiwan’s Lin You-xue. The film showcases how environmentally conscious German artist Liina Klauss picks up waste items along Hong Kong’s shores and turns them into colorfully glamorous installations so as to remind people of the importance of environmental protection.

Equally eye-catching is “Yellow Umbrella” by participants of Hong Kong’s so-called Umbrella Revolution in 2014. The work documents the 79-day civil unrest as part of Occupy Central with Love and Peace that called for the reformation of the electoral system in Hong Kong. Yellow umbrellas were used by demonstrators to fend off police tear gas and pepper spray during the protest, and quickly became the symbol of the movement.

In addition, “Big Catch” by NGC reveals the challenges and hardships that 37 crew members from six countries faced aboard a Taiwan fishing vessel as they spent two years catching tuna 5,000 kilometers away from home.

Another thought-provoking offering is “Toxic Bees—Nature’s Mayday” by PTS, which examines the impact of the international bee population decline on global food security.

“The diversity of documentary films offers audiences a glimpse of the prosperity and challenges facing people in Taiwan and Hong Kong,” Commissioner Lin said. “We hope the event will further draw the public’s attention to such issues and create a better future.”

Source: Taiwan Today (http://taiwantoday.tw/ct.asp?xItem=237767&ctNode=2194&mp=9)