Taiwanese-American filmmaker Ang Lee (李安) was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 77th Annual Directors Guild of America (DGA) Awards on Saturday. Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊), lead actress of Lee’s 2000 film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, presented the award.
“This is the first time at this event I have to put on reading glasses, so I guess it is time for the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Lee said in his acceptance speech. “I have received many awards in my career, but this one is most special to me, because it comes from my beloved peers.”
“The fact that we can gather together in a difficult time to celebrate movies is very touching,” he added.
Photo: AFP
Lee told the story of his first invitation to the DGA awards in 1996, when the DGA president called to inform him of his nomination for directing the film Sense and Sensibility.
The president did not care that Lee was not a member of the guild, and asked him why he had not joined.
“Because you had ruled that the second meal cannot be Chinese food,” Lee said he had told her.
For the DGA president, that was all the more reason for Lee to join: so that he could create change.
Lee reminisced about his career, talking about the different kinds of films he has directed and the awards he won and lost.
“Regardless, I am always happy to be at this event, because it reminds me that despite the ups and downs, it is always worth it to keep chasing after your dreams,” he said.
Lee said his career has been a never-ending film school, as he has never stopped learning about making movies.
“I was born and raised in Taiwan, and it feels like a realization of the American dream to be here on this stage,” Lee said.
In related news, the stage adaptation of Life of Pi is coming to Taiwan in July, the National Theatre and Concert Hall (NTCH) said on Saturday.
Life of Pi, written by Yann Martel, was adapted into a film by Lee in 2012, which won him an Oscar for best director, the NTCH said, adding that the film had grossed more than US$600 million at the box office.
Lee has praised the story as “a perfect blend of humanity, faith and adventure,” it said.
The stage adaptation of Life of Pi was performed on London’s West End in 2021 and on New York’s Broadway in 2023, and has won three Tony Awards, the NTCH said.
The play’s first stop would be the National Theater in Taipei, with performances running from July 17 to July 27, followed by performances at the National Taichung Theater from July 31 to Aug. 3, it said.
Tickets for the Taipei performances go on sale on April 8, with prices ranging from NT$800 to NT$6,600, it added.
Additional reporting by Ling Mei-hsueh
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