Taiwanese directors seeking int'l co-production pitch at European Film Market

Berlin, Feb. 16 (CNA) Four Taiwanese directors pitched their film projects at the European Film Market, an event closely related to the Berlin International Film Festival, on Friday, in a bid to seek international co-production opportunities and promote Taiwan's film work.

Su Shu-kuan (蘇淑冠), deputy head of global marketing at Taiwan's Creative Content Agency, told CNA that all four stories have the potential to appeal to international audiences because they tell stories about relationships, particularly between family members and sisters.

"We hope to showcase our unique culture in Taiwanese stories and reach a global audience," Su said.

For example, Su said, the new film project "Sayun's Dreams," directed by Laha Mebow (陳潔瑤) -- the first female and Indigenous director to win the Golden Horse Best Director Award for her film "GAGA" in 2022 -- depicts a tale of two women in different eras who both struggle against a giant from Atayal tribal mythology in their dreams and with self-identity in daily life.

The plot includes the theft of a head from the Indigenous Atayal people by a Japanese scholar, which Mebow said was inspired by Edinburgh University returning four Paiwan warrior skulls to Taiwan last year.

Mebow told CNA that "the stolen head and the dreams about giants in my proposal are all unique elements of Taiwanese culture, and I also wanted to showcase the country's colonial past along with the oppression faced and still faced by women."

Mebow went on to say that she hopes people don't see Indigenous movies as irrelevant and that "Sayun's Dreams" is an alternative Indigenous work of fantasy.

Meanwhile, documentary filmmaker Shen Ko-shang's (沈可尚) proposal "Deep Quiet Room" dives into family issues, telling the story of a tragedy faced by a couple.

Shen said that he originally wanted to make films because he wanted to be able to reach out to and reassure vulnerable children.

Director Zhang Zhi-teng (張誌騰) pitched "Karma Tango," his first feature, which he said aims to encourage people to communicate with those they love and care about.

Zhang previously won the Golden Horse award and the Taipei Film award with his short "Good Day," which addressed his relationship with his father. He said "Karma Tango" will focus on his relationship with his mother.

Zhang also told CNA that "some say that your relationship with your mother is your relationship with the world."

Meanwhile, director Kao Huai-ju (高懷茹) introduced her project "My Phoenix Sister," which depicts the story of two sisters as they undergo breast cancer treatment together.

Lin Fang-hsu (林方詡), a producer of "Sayun's Dreams," told CNA that the unique Taiwanese elements in the story may be interesting to a foreign audience, but that filmmakers need to find ways to make the audience resonate with the story.

She explained that some films that were highly popular in Taiwan did not perform well overseas because the traditions and jokes in the movies were hard for international audiences to relate to.

However, films that explore family relationships, as well as romance, action, and horror movies, appeal to people more easily and are received better in the global market, Lin added.

According to Su, the Taiwan Creative Content Agency launched "Taiwan's International Co-funding Program (TICP)" in 2020. As part of this initiative, films co-produced with an international partner can receive up to US$300,000 in funding.

Su added that a total of three films that were featured in the Berlin International Film Festival this year have received TICP investment; "Black Tea," "SHAMBHALA," and "Do Fish Sleep With Their Eyes Open?"

Su went on to say that the four film projects pitched at the session could also receive investment if they go on to be co-produced with international partners and that the TICP is also aiming to allow for unlimited investment to prompt more international co-production.