2023
Giloo presents award-winning festival favorites, buzzworthy films, and thought-provoking documentaries, bringing together diverse themes and compelling stories. Step into the Spotlight Screening selection and discover films that have captured attention, sparked discussion, and are well worth revisiting.
"He found society's taboo against sex incredibly convenient; when a girl was raped, the whole world thought it was her fault, and even she thought it was her fault." — Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise What silences victims is not just the perpetrator, but the entire society. What we can do is, through speaking out and discussion, ensure that incidents hidden in society's shadows no longer sink into darkness.
In 2017, Fang Si-Chi's First Love Paradise was published. Its distinct literary style immediately captivated readers, but the brutal reality and agonizing introspection presented beneath the exquisite yet sharp prose caused an even greater storm when the author, Lin Yi-Han, chose to take her own life shortly after the novel's release. To this day, this novel is constantly referenced whenever Taiwanese people discuss gender issues. For eight years, no one has forgotten Fang Si-Chi and Lin Yi-Han. However, even after the wounds have been exposed, we still hope for the possibility of repair and healing—not only for Si-Chi and Yi-Han but also for all the real pains that have been spoken and those yet to be uttered. If stories once brought dark wounds into the light, then in 2025, we hope to use the power of stories to rise powerfully from heartbreak, becoming a light for ourselves and for others.