Taiwan also picked up German films from another German film/TV conglomerate, Telepool. Crown took a jazzy romance drama Gloomy Sunday and Taipei-based Cineplex picked up Knocking on Heaven's Door.
"We are very happy that this is the first time we set up business with Taiwan companies!" said Wolfram Skowuronnek from Telepool. "For me, this situation is a comeback for German films."
Most of the films that proved commercially successful at Berlin had a light touch. Does this mean that history and politics are not subjects that can touch human hearts outside of German-speaking regions? On this point, Margret Hung said, at least for the Taiwan market, that this is the case.
It is still hard for Taiwan audiences to understand the tangled politics of a divided Germany, she said. Crown last year bought The Legend of Rita, a historical profile of an East German terrorist by director Volker Schlondorff. It was a box-office flop.
In this regard, the German representative office or related organizations could play an active part in cultural promotion, Hung suggested. "They could serve as a bridge between German and Taiwan film companies, coordinating marketing or promotional support to sell these films."
RSS