Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival opens

Vancouver, Aug. 7 (CNA) The 2024 Vancouver Taiwanese Film Festival (VTWFF) kicked off on Friday with an opening gala at the VIFF Centre in downtown Vancouver and featured the premiere screening of a short film produced by young Taiwanese Canadians.

This year, VTWFF's theme "Honoring Tradition, Igniting Innovation" showcased famous international blockbusters as well as films created by young Taiwanese Canadians with the aim of promoting Taiwan, according to an Instagram post by the organizers on Friday.

Among the dignitaries present at the opening gala were Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Vancouver Liu Lih-hsin (劉立欣), Minister of Municipal Affairs of British Columbia Anne Kang (康安禮), and Vancouver City Councilors Sarah Kirby-Yung (楊瑞蘭) and Lenny Zhou (周楠).

Charlene Liu (夏琳), the film festival's chairperson, told CNA that the film selection committee did not choose a well-known movie as the opener but instead picked a short film titled "Unspoken" that was made by young Taiwanese Canadian filmmakers.

According to the plot synopsis, the film depicts a young woman in a Taiwanese immigrant family who finds herself "caught between the pull of tradition and the allure of modern love."

"Her parents, eager to preserve their cultural heritage, attempt to steer her towards a relationship with a family friend's son -- someone they believe aligns with their expectations."

"As subtle pressures and quiet conflicts build, she must navigate the unspoken tensions within her family," according to the plot introduction.

Apple Chang (張郁柔), the film's producer, told CNA that all the production team and actors involved in the film were ethnic Taiwanese who had either been born in Canada or immigrated to the country during childhood.

"The Taiwanese language is spoken in two-thirds of the movie," said Chang. "In the process of pursuing Taiwanese language and Taiwanese culture, everyone found it very interesting and hoped that more people would get to know Taiwan."

In her opening remarks at the film festival, Liu Lih-hsin praised the vitality and innovation of the young filmmakers, who she said can be a catalyst for cross-cultural understanding.

Kang, a Taiwanese who immigrated to Canada at the age of 6, told CNA that watching movies is helpful for learning Mandarin and Taiwanese. She said she has participated in the Taiwanese film festival every year over the past few years.

"Every year when I watch the movies, I experience deep emotions. I either laugh with happiness or cry with sadness, because the scriptwriters or directors have taken care to express their own emotions of pain, joy, anger or sorrow," she said.

This year, the two-day film festival's lineup included "Vive l'Amour" by award-winning director Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮), "Life of Pi," a 2012 adventure-drama directed and produced by two-time Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (李安), "Old Fox" by Hsiao Ya-chuan (蕭雅全), who won the 60th Golden Horse Best Director Award last year for the film, and "But First, Coffee," directed by Philip Shih (施文翰).