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Taiwan beats odds to win film award

Taiwan won an international film award on occupational safety in Seoul last month, despite questions being raised about the country’s sovereignty.

The Council of Labor Affairs’ Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) was one of the first prize winners at the 17th International Film and Multimedia Festival held in Seoul, South Korea, from June 30 to July 1.

IOSH chairman Shih Tung-sheng (石東生) said he was glad that despite the political pressure, the institute won the award under the name IOSH from Taiwan, Republic of China.

While their production entered the second and final round of the competition with the highest score, Yu Yi-chun (游逸駿), director of the institute’s Exhibition Division, said a jury member argued Taiwan should not be awarded the first prize because it was not a sovereign state.

Another jury member, however, said that Taiwan deserved the honor because it had made major contributions to international health and occupational safety and that the award should not be judged based on political considerations.

European films had dominated the awards over the past 12 years, and Taiwan was the first and only country from Asia to receive the honor so far, Shih said.

The jury awarded top prizes to three films this year — Nick of Time produced by the IOSH, Agir pour prevenir l’harcelement sexuel en entreprise by Le deuxieme Observatoire from Switzerland, and Animation in Safety@Work by Workplace Safety and Health Council and ST Engineering from Singapore.

Three special awards were given to films from South Korea, France and Peru.

The festival was part of the activities surrounding the 18th World Congress on Safety and Health at Work and jointly organized by the International Social Security Association, the International Labor Organization and Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

This year’s event attracted 115 films and 50 multimedia applications from 25 countries. This was the first time Taiwan joined the competition.
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