Five Taiwanese films have been selected to be screened at the London East Asia Film Festival (LEAFF), which starts today and runs through Sunday next week.
The five films are Chung Mong-hong’s (鍾孟宏) The Falls (瀑布), Edward Yang’s (楊德昌) Taipei Story (青梅竹馬), Chen Yu-hsun’s (陳玉勳) My Missing Valentine (消失的情人節), Chang Yao-sheng’s (張耀升) A Leg (腿) and Ko Chien-nien’s (柯貞年) The Silent Forest (無聲).
Chung presented a story from a female perspective for the first time in The Falls, which was selected for the Orizzonti competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival, the Ministry of Culture said on Tuesday.
The film, an intimate drama about the shifting relationship between a mother and daughter set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, would be making its British premiere at LEAFF on Saturday, the festival program shows.
As part of LEAFF’s retrospective selection, Taipei Story would be screening on Tuesday next week. First released in 1985, the film is considered an important part of the Taiwanese New Wave movement, the ministry said.
The romantic comedy My Missing Valentine, which won five awards at last year’s Golden Horse Awards, would be making its London debut on Wednesday next week.
Meanwhile, A Leg, which is included in the LEAFF’s competition lineup, is making its European premiere on Saturday next week.
Starring Gwei Lun-mei (桂綸鎂) and Tony Yang (楊祐寧), the dark comedy is Chang’s directorial debut, the ministry said.
Inspired by real events on a school campus, Ko’s first feature film, The Silent Forest, is making its London premiere on Oct. 31, the ministry said.
LEAFF is the largest Asian film festival in the UK, the ministry said, adding that the five Taiwanese films are among 34 that are to be shown at the event.
LEAFF is one of the main platforms through which British audiences gain an understanding of developments in East Asian cinema, said Chen Pin-chuan (陳斌全), director of the Cultural Division at the Taipei Representative Office in the UK.
Festival director Hye-Jung Jeon said she looked forward to the festival program bringing audiences back to theaters, and facilitating understanding and connections across different cultures.
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