"A Foggy Tale" tops Golden Horse Awards with multiple wins, including best film

Taipei, Nov. 22 (CNA) "A Foggy Tale" (大濛) has been named best narrative feature at the Golden Horse Awards, with the film taking four honors to become the biggest winner at the 62nd edition of the most prestigious cinema awards in the Chinese-speaking world.

The film, directed by Taiwanese filmmaker Chen Yu-hsun (陳玉勳), emerged victorious Saturday as it edged out "Queerpanorama" (眾生相) by a vote of 8-7, according to the judging panel.

The other nominees were "The Waves Will Carry Us" (人生海海), "Left-handed Girl" (左撇子女孩) and "Mother Bhumi" (地母).

"We are very honored to have produced this story," co-producer Yeh Ju-feng (葉如芬) said at the award ceremony in Taipei.

"Earlier on, all of my investors told me: 'You're all insane -- how is it possible to make a film set in the 1950s?'" she recalled.

"Our first thought was that people in every era face different hardships. We believe people can still maintain a kind heart despite everything, and that's what we want to convey in this film," she added.

Citing renowned Japanese animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Yeh said: "Film must become the answer to the changing times."

"We must believe with conviction that cinema can change the world, even if nothing changes in the end -- that is what it means to be a creator of film."

"A Foggy Tale" depicts the lives of ordinary citizens during the White Terror era, when the then-Kuomintang government persecuted perceived political dissidents as part of efforts to prevent infiltration by the Chinese Communist Party.

The story follows a girl who travels to northern Taiwan to retrieve the body of her executed brother. Along the way, she forms a bond with a former soldier and rickshaw driver who helps her raise the ransom.

Chen has said he conceived the story told through the eyes of a victim's family after researching the White Terror period, which spanned from 1949 to 1992.

The victory of "A Foggy Tale" in the best narrative feature category closed out the 62nd Golden Horse Awards, where it won four of the 24 major honors presented Saturday night.

"A Foggy Tale" entered this year's awards with 11 nominations -- the most of any film -- and claimed major wins including best original screenplay, best makeup and costume design, and best art direction.

"Lucky Lu" (幸福之路) and "Mother Bhumi" each won three honors to tie as the second-biggest winners, taking home best actor and best actress, respectively.

"Left-handed Girl," which will represent Taiwan in the 2026 Academy Awards for best international feature film and had the second most nominations with nine, finished with one honor -- best new performer for Ma Shih-yuan (馬士媛).

"Family Matters" (我家的事) and "Palimpsest: The Story of a Name" (隱蹟之書:重寫自我) each won two.