Taiwanese film about young cancer patients tours North America

Toronto, March 11 (CNA) A Taiwanese movie about children and pre-teens with cancer is currently being shown in the United States and Canada.

"BIG," which is directed by Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖) and is about children living in a Taiwanese pediatric oncology ward who move into Room 816, or "BIG" as they call it, began its North American tour on March 7 as part of the 6th North America Taiwanese Film Tour Festival.

In partnership with Canada's Pride Asian Film Festival and the Taiwan Film Festival in Toronto (TFFT), "BIG" will be screened in 27 cities between March and April.

The film's first stop was in Southern California where the movie first played in Thousand Oak on March 8, followed by in Monrovia and San Diego on March 9.

The film then screened in Houston, Texas, on March 10 and Atlanta, Georgia on March 15.

The upcoming Toronto screening is expected to be well attended as it is being shown during TFFT, a non-profit cultural event that is comparably popular to the Taiwan Film Festival in Vancouver.

During each screening, the movie director interacts with audience members to give additional insight into the movie and his creative process.

"BIG" was written and directed by Wei, who is often credited with reviving Taiwan's film industry with his breakout rom-com "Cape No. 7" (海角七號) and two-part historical blockbuster "Warriors of the Rainbow: Seediq Bale" (賽德克·巴萊).

Wei was inspired to venture into a different genre after he met an amputee a few years ago.

The individual had bone cancer but remained optimistic about life, which inspired Wei to begin scriptwriting.

Cutting between animation and live action, "BIG" first hit the big screen across Taiwan on Dec. 1, 2023.

Although it failed to win big at the box office, the film went on to amass a following among fans and supporters who resonated with the topic.

Lovers of the movie helped "BIG" establish a reputation among non-profit groups and also the likes of religious, medical, and educational institutions, leading to it showing a record number of screenings in Taiwan.

The film had earned more than NT$40 million (US$1.27 million) in Taiwan by February, following the screening successes.

The move starred Taiwanese cast members such as Ciwas Adai (夏宇童), Chen Bor-jeng (陳博正), and Van Fan (范逸臣), as well as Taiwanese-American actor Andrew Chau (周厚安) and Japanese actress Chie Tanaka.