For years, Taiwan was barely on Hollywood’s radar for filming global blockbusters — but acclaimed Taiwanese director Ang Lee’s (李安) decision to shoot his Oscar-winning 3D movie Life of Pi has transformed the nation’s fortunes.
Long overshadowed by Japan and Hong Kong, Taiwan, with its dramatic scenery and skyscrapers, is fast becoming the Asian center for some of cinema’s biggest hitters.
The nation’s rise is thanks to a combination of high praise from industry heavyweights, film subsidies and a concerted effort by local authorities to court international filmmakers.
Lee further raised Taiwan’s profile as a potential movie-making hotspot when he acknowledged he could not have made the hit film “without the help of Taiwan” in his acceptance speech after winning the Oscar for best director last year.
French director Luc Besson chose Taipei over seven other Asian cities when selecting the setting for part of his sci-fi thriller Lucy which starred Scarlett Johansson, while Martin Scorcese is scheduled to shoot his eagerly-awaited new production Silence in the nation next year.
“Some cities are very photogenic, some other are not at all. Paris is very photogenic and Taipei is very photogenic too,” Besson said on a promotional tour in Taiwan in August.
“Working in Taipei was quite easy... The city was very welcoming. Luc was happy with [what] we found here. It’s nice and easy — as if we were at home,” movie producer Virginie Silla said, who is Besson’s wife.
Even though Taiwan is home to a number of internationally acclaimed filmmakers such as Lee, Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) and Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮), foreign companies had passed over the nation as a coproduction partner or a shooting location due to the lack of precedent, local industry insiders say.
“For an international collaboration, whether the local partner is reliable is crucial,” said producer Aileen Li (李耀華), who coordinated the shooting in Taipei of Lucy and Hong Kong director John Woo’s (吳宇森) epic The Crossing (太平輪).
“After Life of Pi and Lucy were shot in Taiwan, I think international teams were assured and started to see Taiwan as an option alongside Tokyo, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Seoul when choosing a location in Asia,” she added.
Taipei has seen a steady increase in the arrival of international film crews. The city offers a maximum subsidy of US$1 million for a coproduction meeting its requirements, such as hiring local crew, which in part can be received during filming, and also assists in local marketing and advertising, authorities said.
As of the end of October, 408 foreign productions, including movies, television series and variety shows, were shot in the city, compared with a total of 477 last year, according to the semi-official Taipei Film Commission.
Taipei has attracted productions not only from its Asian neighbors, but also from Italy, the UK — with the BBC shooting some of upcoming film X+Y in the city — and even the Baltic state of Latvia, due to lower costs and a willingness to accommodate, industry watchers say.
“Taipei’s consumer prices and personnel costs are cheaper compared with cities like Tokyo or Hong Kong ... and Taiwanese people are very warm and friendly. I think these are the advantages and winning factors for Taipei,” Li said.
Japanese director Takashi Miike came to Taipei to film some scenes in his crime drama Shield of Straw, which competed in last year’s Cannes International Film Festival, shooting Taiwan’s high-speed train system after Japanese rail authorities turned him away.
Taiwan’s openness is also a big plus to international filmmakers, in comparison with China where the authorities can censor scripts with subjects deemed politically sensitive or obscene, observers said.
“To film some scenes in China the local authorities will review the script and that could have some pressure on filmmakers so in such situation Taiwan will be an option as it is also a Chinese-speaking society,” Li said.
For Taiwan, bringing in the international productions means “more income, more experience and more friendship” for the film and tourism industries, Taipei Film Commission director Jennifer Jao (饒紫娟) said.
“There will be hiring of Taiwanese film crews while foreign stars and crews will live in local hotels, dine in the restaurants and sightsee on their time off. This is win-win for both sides,” Jao said.
Taiwan being a previously lesser-known film location could also be an advantage for movie-makers.
“Many foreigners are not familiar with Taiwan, they may see Taipei in Lucy, but they still don’t know what other cities look like, so many Taiwanese cities can fit into a script that requires a generic Asian backdrop,” Li said.
Jao is optimistic that Taiwan can attract more foreign productions thanks to the rising clout of Asian and Chinese-language cinema.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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