The last world war ended 60 years ago, but terrorism, violence and injustice have persisted into the 21st century. Entering its fifth year the Film Festival of Peace (
based on the belief that peace is not merely a utopian idea, but a desired lifestyle.
This year, the festival has a line-up of 13 feature and documentary films from France, Canada, Israel, Germany, US, Mexico and Taiwan. Most of the award-winning films relate to war and peace, and depict peoples' lives in times of violence. The opening film Zivet je Cudo (
Zhuan Ya-han (莊雅涵) from the Peacetime Foundation of Taiwan (台灣促進和平文教基金會), said the festival will introduce a new
element this year with films examining the problems confronting immigrants to Taiwan; a poignant addition given the recent riot by Thai laborers who complained of poor working conditions in Kaohsiung.
The festival opens in Taipei tomorrow, and will move to Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualian.
Photo courtesy of Spring International, and Long Shong Pictures
Public service television will also broadcast three of the festival's films from Oct. 7 to Oct. 9.
Tickets for the festival are free and will be handed out 30 minutes prior to each screening.
However, providing members of the public with free entry has squeezed the festival's already tight budget and there will be no English subtitles for local productions or other non-English language films.
Detailed information on the films, screening venues and schedules can be found at http://www.peace.org.tw.
This week South Korean movies take the lead in entertaining mainstream audiences with love stories and fine performances by South Korean superstars. Asian megastar Bae Yong-joon (裴勇俊) ensured his latest work April Snow (外出) received widespread attention long before the film was released in neighboring Asian countries.
Bae plays a gentle man who discovers his wife's infidelity after she is severely injured alongside her paramour in a car accident. At the hospital, Bae meets the spouse of his wife's lover. Racked with hatred, anger and pain they find in each other's eyes the will to love again. After recovering the lovers return to their respective families. April Snow is a charmingly scrip-ted melodramatic story and both of the lead actors give fine performances portraying the nuanced emotions of tortured souls.
This Charming Girl (真情郵遞) is director Lee Yoon-ki's debut on the big screen and has won applause from the international festival circuit. The film tells the story of a young woman, Jeong-hae who withdraws into solitude after an unfortunate childhood. Working at a post office the lead protagonist is suffocated by her mundane life but is rescued by a writer who falls for her. The young woman gradually opens up to a world she has never dreamed of. The film is shot using a hand-held camera which constantly tracks Jeong-hae's movement. The result successfully conveys a sense of intimacy, and enables the au-dience to easily empathize with Jeong-hae's emotional condition.
Performance notes:
What: 2005 Film Festival of Peace
Where: Spot -- Taipei Film House in Taipei (台北光點); Hsinchu Municipal Image Museum (新竹影像博物館); National Dong Hwa University, Taichung (台中中興大學); Kaohsiung Film Archive (
When: Sept. 10 to Nov. 25
Tickets: Free of charge
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