2 TV dramas biggest winners at Golden Bell Awards

Taipei, Oct. 19 (CNA) The drama series "Living" (有生之年) and "Port of Lies" (八尺門的辯護人) emerged as the biggest winners on Day 2 of the 59th Golden Bell Awards with six and seven awards, respectively.

"Living" was honored for best television series, and best leading actor, best leading actress, best directing, best supporting actor and best newcomer in a television series.

The show follows the story of Kao Chia-yueh (高嘉岳), a loser in love and work who contemplates suicide. After returning to his home for the first time in many years to pay his family members one last visit, he witnesses their will to live in spite of life's harsh realities, which transforms Kao into a different person.

Lin Chih-ju (林志儒), one of the series' directors, said the plot was based on the experience of the other director, Hsu Chao-jen (許肇任), growing up in Taipei's Wanhua District, which accentuated the unique human touch of family.

The best leading actor award went to Wu Kang-ren (吳慷仁), who did not attend the award ceremony.

In Wu's prepared acceptance speech, read by Hsu, the actor thanked the director, with whom he has collaborated three times, for his talent and for allowing him to understand what it means to be "living" while shooting the series.

Veteran actress Yang Kuei-mei (楊貴媚), meanwhile, won her third Golden Bell Award after being named best leading actress for her role in "Living." Yang thanked the cast and crew of the show, especially the actors and actresses who portrayed her family members.

"Port of Lies" took the honors for best miniseries, best writing for a miniseries or television film, best leading actor in a miniseries or television film, and best score, best sound design, the creative award for a drama series, and most popular TV series.

The show tackles thorny social issues, including the death penalty and the exploitation of and discrimination against Indigenous peoples, and migrant workers.

It revolves around a young Indonesian migrant fisherman who murdered his captain, an Indigenous Taiwanese. An Indigenous court-appointed attorney, an Indonesian woman, and the son of a judge work tirelessly to overturn the death sentence for the murder.

Attorney-turned-filmmaker Freddy Tang (唐福睿), who directed the TV miniseries, said it showed that "what's important about a successful drama series is not the budget, cast or IP (intellectual property). What's important is a story that responds to this era and the way you tell the story."

Tang, who wrote the novel with the same title from which the series was adapted, also was honored for best writing for a miniseries or television film.

The series was jointly presented by Chunghwa Telecom and the intellectual property licensing company Mirror Fiction Inc.

In 2021, it received NT$20 million (US$623,889) in funding from the Ministry of Culture after it was named by Mirror Fiction as the best novel for adaptation into film or television.

The Golden Bell Awards, known as Taiwan's Emmys, was made a two-night event in 2022 to keep it from running too long, with the first night dedicated to TV shows and the second to drama series.

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