Taiwan Today
Date: March 24, 2016
Taiwan cinematographer Lee Ping-bin is taking the island’s distinctive brand
Lee Ping-bin (right) and Hou Hsiao-hsien are longtime partners who helped define the internationally acclaimed Taiwan new wave cinema of the 1980s. (Courtesy of Taipei Film Commission)
of art house cinema to the world and garnering a growing list of international accolades for his signature long shots and dream-like style.
Lee’s work on “Crosscurrent,” a 2016 ode to the Yangtze River, earned him an Outstanding Artistic Contribution for Cinematography award at last month’s Berlin International Film Festival.
During his Silver Bear acceptance speech, Lee attributed the achievement to his emotional ties with Taiwan and upbringing in the south of the country.
The Berlin honor is an extension of his successful collaboration with fellow southern Taiwan native Hou Hsiao-hsien, who won best director at Cannes in 2015 for “The Assassin.”
These two icons of Taiwan new wave cinema first worked together over 30 years ago. Their partnership came to define the movement and launched a decade of films in the 1980s characterized by their realism and slow pace. [FULL STORY]
