Taiwanese Film Festival
October 30th and 31st Auditorium Leiden University College, Den Haag For PDF click here Seven Days in HeavenA woman returns to her farming village in central Taiwan within seven days of her father's death. Upon her return, she is reminded about the villagers' simplicity and superstition that are part of Taiwanese funeral ritual traditions. After the funeral, the woman packs and seals the sorrow of her loss and returns to her busy metropolis. While sitting in the airport in Hong Kong, however, thoughts of longing for her father suddenly overwhelm her.
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Pushing Hands
Master Chu, a retired Chinese Tai-Chi master, moves to Westchester, New York, to live with his son Alex, his American daughter-in-law Martha, and their son Jeremy. However, Martha's second novel is suffering from severe writers' block brought on by Chu's presence in the house. Alex must struggle to keep his family together as he battles an inner conflict between cultural tradition and his modern American lifestyle.
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Stone Dream
Stone Dream records the daily life of Liu and his family and outlines, through conversations with the main character and his neighbours, a picture of the complex ethnic relations in Taiwan. Like many Chinese who moved to Taiwan to avoid war and started their lives in Taiwan, Liu has formed families with the indigenous population. When his wife dies, old Liu decided to return to his homeland. But at the same time he realizes that he will no longer feel at home there.
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MongaSet in 1980s Taiwan, after the end of military dictatorship, Monga centers around the troubled lives of five boys coming of age together.
The narrator of the story, Mosquito, is invited to be a part of the gang after a silly fight over a chicken leg. Mosquito has grown up without a father and has never had any real friends, so after Monk, Dragon and the others take him under their wing, he discovers an irresistible world of friendship and brotherhood. However, Mosquito soon discovers that in this violent world things aren't always what they seem. When a group of mainlanders attempt to take over Monga, the fragile balance over the district's turf is threatened, friendship is tested, and loyalty is questioned. Hand in Hand
The film begins in 1950s Tainan. A 17-year-old high school girl, TIAN Meng-Shu, falls in love with a Japanese-educated physician, TIAN Chao-Ming, who is 16 years her senior. The young woman’s wealthy, reputable family does not approve of the town doctor, so she elopes with her lover and never returns home. Little did the fearless young lady know that their lives over the next 60 years would closely follow the thread of Taiwan’s post-World War II political history. United as one, the couple bravely face insurmountable obstacles to fight for Taiwan’s democratic and human rights movements under Martial Law.
With interviews and animated sequences, the film sheds light on political persecutions such as the 228 Incident and the Formosa Incident as part of the characters’ real-life struggles, vividly portraying the couple’s passion, strength and sacrifice in helping to shape Taiwan’s society |
This project is made possible by the Spotlight Taiwan grant from the Ministry of Culture, Republic of China, with additional support provided by Special Patron Dr. Samuel Yin and Leiden University College The Hague.
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