Do you know of these directors?

The News Lens
Date: 2017/07/22
By: TNL Staff

Images by Nelly Wu.

Taiwanese films have become regular participants in international film festivals and awards over the past few decades. One of the most acclaimed Taiwanese directors is Academy Award-winning Ang Lee (李安), who is known for films like “Brokeback Mountain,” “Life of Pi,” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” among others.

But aside from Lee, who are some other directors in Taiwan you should know of?

hsiao-hsien_hou

The 70-year-old is most famous for his 1989 film “A City of Sadness,” which portrays the 228 Massacre and White Terror period in Taiwan. One of Hou’s signature styles is extreme long takes with little camera movement, and he is known for depicting the turmoil of Taiwan history through the eyes of individuals or a small group of people.

Hou has received numerous international film awards including the Golden Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival, the Jury Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and most recently, the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival for “The Assassin” in 2015.

edward_yang

When talking about films that explore urban Taiwan, the name Edward Yang is bound to come up. Yang’s films reflect the conflict between traditions and modernity, and he was the first Taiwanese director to be awarded the Best Director Award at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival for “Yi Yi,” his most acclaimed film.

The director passed away in 2007, and “Yi Yi” was named one of the 25 best films of the 21st century so far by The New York Times this year. Digital restorations of a series of Yang’s films are also currently screening in Taiwan.    [FULL  STORY]