2018
Hong Kong International Documentary Festival
亞軍
亞軍
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Why did someone like Gorbachev—who tried so hard to reform his country—ultimately meet a dramatic and tragic end? Why did a Chinese teenager, once full of unquestioning patriotism, become a disillusioned critic of society? And how does a taxidermist, working with lifeless animals, come to glimpse the mysterious kingdom of death? The team at Chichi’s Notes has handpicked 13 standout documentaries from Giloo—recommended for those who care about current affairs and remain endlessly curious about the world. Whether you're drawn to politics, identity, science, or the unseen corners of society, this collection offers something for every thoughtful viewer.
For many, half of their family stories unfold at the dining table. Take Eat Drink Man Woman, where family storms brew and erupt between courses, or The Wedding Banquet, whose banquet scene captures what it means to live under “five thousand years of sexual repression.” The other half of those stories often lies beneath the table—hidden in secrets and silence. Like the cryptic relatives in The Walchensee Forever, or the adults in Yi Yi, each burdened with their own quiet thoughts. This Lunar New Year, after the family feast, gather once more—for a film. Let your family story play out on screen.
What is Taiwan? What does Taiwan have? Our imagination of Taiwan’s future depends on how we choose to read Taiwan. The Taiwanese documentaries selected by Giloo aim to offer a multifaceted and in-depth perspective—allowing us to empathize with the struggles and efforts of the Taiwanese people, uncover the richness of this land, confront its challenges, and analyze the issues that shape life on this island.
Love can bear the sweetest fruits, or plunge life into the deepest abyss. How do you face the questions that love brings? Will you choose to move forward hand in hand with your partner— or walk away, once and for all?
A lifelong companion—or a declared enemy? Love is the most difficult relationship, yet it yields the sweetest fruit. In the face of love, do you reveal your truest self—or something more false? What do you choose to share with your lover? Are you walking hand in hand toward paradise—or toward the beginning of sorrow?
Dialogue takes practice—whether with others or with yourself. How do we find common ground when our values differ? And how do we learn to live with the parts of ourselves that feel unfamiliar? Through conversation, we not only get to know and draw closer to others, but also begin to see our own place in relationships—and in the world—with greater clarity. It is in these moments that we become more willing to walk alongside others, with openness and care.
The Women’s Literature Research Center at Tamkang University, which is dedicated to reflecting on and exploring issues related to gender, women, and sexuality, presents a special program themed “Women and Everyday Life.” This program spotlights three Taiwanese documentaries—The Lucky Woman?, LOVE Talk, and Small Talk—to explore the struggles of single women navigating between societal norms and personal expectations, the evolving definitions of gender roles within marriage and family, and how a woman who identifies as both a lesbian and a mother reclaims her identity and reaches reconciliation.