Festival Focus

(china daily)
Updated: 2009-07-01 14:01

The on-going Cross-Strait Film Exhibition in Beijing and Tianjin includes six Taiwan movies, mostly recent works by young filmmakers.

Orz Boyz (Jiong Nan Hai)

Directed by Taiwan novelist and first-time director Yang Ya-che, who won the best director award at the 2008 Taipei Film Festival, the movie revolves around two overactive schoolboys, Liar No 1 (Pang Chin-yu) and Liar No 2 (Lee Kuan-yi), who run wild in the coastal town of Danshui. This charming film is dedicated to kids who can't wait to grow up and adults who wish to return to their childhood.

Attitude (Tai Du)

Produced by former basketball player and popular TV host Blackie Chen, the documentary takes viewers through Taiwan's Super Basketball League champions Taiwan Beer's ups and downs, during their 2007 season.

Island Etude (Lian Xi Qu)

Taiwanese cinematographer, photographer and director En Chen makes his feature film debut with Island Etude. Following a hearing-disabled young man's bike trip around Taiwan, the film vividly captures the natural beauty of the island's landscape and the many facets of Taiwan.

Exit No 6 (Liu Hao Chukou)

Directed by up-and-coming filmmaker Lin Yu-hsien, Taiwanese youth film Exit No 6 delves into the fast lives of today's lost younger generation. In this film, his first fictional feature film, Lin explores a topic that he covered in documentary form before, namely youth subculture.

Keeping Watch (Chen Shui de Qingchun)

The Golden Bell-winning television screenwriter/director, Cheng Fen-fen's debut feature, Keeping Watch, is a picturesque tale of romance, loneliness, and healing in a lazy rural town. The film is a fusion of youth romance and art house melancholy, delivered by a very photogenic cast.

Su Mi Ma Sen Love (Duibuqi,Wo Ai Ni)

Director Lin Yu-hsien tells of love and serendipity in this film, which stars breakout Japanese actress Tanaka Chie from Cape No 7 and Wu Huai-chung from Crystal Boys. A scenic love story set in Taiwan's southern port of Kaohsiung, the film takes on a half-documentary style as the camera follows the two protagonists through a wistful tour of the city and their hearts.

China Daily

(China Daily 07/01/2009 page18)