A Taiwanese short film recently won a special short film award at an annual film festival in Switzerland, where it received the honor of being subtitled in three European languages.
Made by Taiwanese director Angel Wu (吳承筠), "Force Times Displacement" (工) won the Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award at the 78th Locarno International Film Festival, which was held in Switzerland Aug. 6-16.
The 12-minute short film was one of 40 shorts selected to participate in the "Pardi di Domani" (The Leopards of Tomorrow) section of the festival tailored to feature short- and medium-length films making international premieres.
Photo: CNA
According to Enrico Vannucci, one of the members of the section’s selection committee, the festival received 4,500 entries from all over the world for the Pardi di Domani section, meaning that only 1 percent of the entries were selected.
Force Times Displacement was one of 20 of the selections to be featured in the section’s international competition, in which the Taiwanese production won the Medien Patent Verwaltung AG Award.
As the winner of the award, the Taiwanese film got subtitled in Italian, German and French by Swiss organization Medien Patent Verwaltung AG.
Besides its premier and second screenings on Aug. 15, the short was also shown on Aug. 16 for a third time on the final day of the Swiss festival.
The plot of the 12-minute film is described in the festival’s intro as centering on "a factory driven by endless ambition, a mysterious wooden idol grants every wish for success. A young worker devotes himself to it -- until a hidden room reveals a different world and sparks a desire for change."
It is a mixed medium piece using video images, animation and stop motion to convey its story and scored using the Taiwanese two-string version of an Asian moon lute to add to its mystical tone.
Initiated in Locarno, Switzerland, in 1946, the annual festival screens films from features to documentaries in both competitive and non-competitive formats.
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
A fourth public debate was held today about restarting the recently decommissioned Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant, ahead of a referendum on the controversial issue to be held in less than two weeks. A referendum on Aug. 23 is to ask voters if they agree that “the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant should continue operations upon approval by the competent authority and confirmation that there are no safety concerns.” Anyone over 18 years of age can vote in the referendum. The vote comes just three months after its final reactor shut down, officially making Taiwan nuclear-free. Taiwan People’s Party Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) represented
RSS