“Taiwan Competition” Observation: Charting New Waters and Making Waves Worldwide
Written by Erica Chueh-Chu LIN
The 2024 Olympic Games stand in stark contrast with their 1896 origins, where the sporting event was exclusive to upper-class white men, keeping women from riding the early waves of competition. At the Paris 2024 opening ceremony, golden statues of ten pioneering French women made a grand entrance in a celebration of their impactful ride through the tidal waves of rights and voice.
Making a splash in its 31st edition, “Taiwan Competition” this year received 134 submissions, covering everything from fictionsand documentaries to animations and experimental films. A record-breaking influx of feature films this year demonstrates particularly how female filmmakers are setting off ripples and forging new paths to tell their stories despite adversity.
As visual creators, can filmmakers set their creative sails to challenge social inequalities? Are they equipped to brave the currents and drive waves of change? With a surge in documentary submissions this year, filmmakers must navigate the waters skillfully to deliver a narrative that is both clear and compelling. Seasoned documentarians TSAO Wen-Chieh and LIN Wan-Yu set out to Taiwan’s Orchid Island to chronicle the everyday life of the Tao indigenous people in Pong no Tao~ Island of People, uncovering the cultural impact triggered by tourism through traditional and modern perspectives. The poignant stories of birds’ fates in collisions against towering glass buildings are captured in the short film Bird-Window Collisions, urging us to reflect on our shared existence with all forms of life. A Letter to Spring Garden recounts He-Yin LAI’s personal, seven-year gripping tale of turning to film to expose the truth of her father’s wrongful imprisonment, as the queer director dives into her motivations behind filmmaking.
Casting off into foreign waters, women venture into diverse cultural landscapes that sculpture their identities and foster a tapestry of perspectives. Co-produced across Taiwan, the Philippines, and South Korea, director Fan WU’s five-year odyssey XiXi paints the ebb and flow of artist XiXi in Berlin, illustrating the fluidity of personal growth and intergenerational emotional discoveries. Based in Belgium, director Yun-tien CHU traces the life of a Taiwanese-Nigerian girl adopted by a Dutch family in My terra. The girl sets sail for Taiwan, in hope of anchoring herself to her biological heritage and finding closure for her lingering disconnection. With its dreamy visuals and auditory mix of environmental sounds and dialogue, Hong Konger director CHAN Ki Yan’s 15 is an experimental short that offers a peek into her personal diary and takes a close look at the emotions of expatriates in the stormy seas of the pandemic age.
As society confronts the rising tide of an aging population and declining birth rates, filmmakers like Pei-Chi LIANG are plunging into the depths of employment conditions for younger generations. LIANG’s graduation project Nowhere to Go portrays the drifting plight of a homeless young man, who is haunted by the troubled waters of his difficult family history and personal hardships, and adrift in anxiety about his uncertain future. Chinese director DAI Wei charts the turbulent voyage of young people seeking happiness and meaning in her experimental documentary Landing Countdown, portraying their efforts to rise above trying times. At the tender age of 18, LIN Yiting and her high school peers embark on a creative journey with My Family, featuring advanced cinematography and editing for amateur standards. Drawing from personal experiences, LIN’s portrayal of her trials flows seamlessly, unfolding the challenges she faces in life. This genuine documentary no doubt points toward a bright horizon for this rising star in filmmaking.
Redefining the boundaries of narrative structure, the “Taiwan Competition” this year is awash with a tidal wave of inventive films. In Cry Me Through Hell, Jae YANG directs acclaimed Taiwanese actor CHIN Shih-Chieh as a father oblivious to his death in the underworld airport. His living daughter must fulfill a certain “mission” to “cry her dad through hell.” With its heady mix of dark humor and moving portrayal of unspoken family issues, the film offers a refreshing take on a familiar narrative. In its festival run, The Horse marries minimalist visuals with fantastical themes to journey the protagonist’s psychological landscape. A standout scene features Taiwanese artiste Mavis FAN interacting with a horse within the confines of an apartment. Those Who Dance delves into the deep waters of the challenges faced by young dancers under the guidance of a harsh and manipulative instructor, prompting them to re-evaluate their passion for dance. Overflowing with a heartfelt longing for family, Grandma uses delicate imagery to spotlight the emptiness of rooms in a military dependents' village. Completed over seven years of creative effort, director Dan-Fong WANG incorporates religious and taboo symbols in exploring the shifting tides of contemporary women’s struggles in the animation The Sparkle, the Blossom, and the Milky Land. The whimsical and charming visual style of Sweet Samsara invites audiences on a serene escapade with its straightforward yet engaging storyline that brings to the table a fresh stream in Taiwanese children’s media.
Directed by a filmmaking duo, A Journey in Spring has ridden the crest of success at prominent international film festivals. It narrates the flowing tides of loss and solitude as a man grapples with the grief of losing his partner and the solitude of living alone. Set in the 1990s, Who’ll Stop the Rain marks director SU I-Hsuan’s feature debut, as students transverse the waves of free speech and artistic freedom. The film interlaces themes of gender identity and self-realization into a deeply moving coming-of-age love story. Last but not least, Inch Forward, directed by a Tokyo film school alumnus SU Yu Chun, is presented entirely in Japanese Filmed and produced in Japan, it tells the story of a director who wants to make a road movie but encounters obstacles along the road.
In today’s world, Taiwanese women creators must be inspired to sail their own course and capture their unique narratives through the cameras they hold. With streaming platforms setting the global tide, it is crucial to venture into the depths of global issues rather than nestling in the safe coves of the familiar. While Taiwan’s market may be modest, it serves as a promising harbor for creators to navigate the broader global sea, where the world eagerly awaits our stories. During the preliminary selection process, what I found gratifying is how the filmmakers of this year’s titles are already making waves as they reach out to new and expansive waters.
(translated by CHAN Bixuan)
