2018
Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TI
台灣競賽單元入選
台灣競賽單元入選
優等獎
特別典藏
自從 2012 年「滇緬游擊隊三部曲」第一部《邊城啟示錄》問世以來，在得知導演李立劭是土生土長的台灣囝仔之後，所有人都不免要問這兩個問題：第一，你為什麼要跋山涉水花這麼大力氣這麼長時間拍這題目？第二，這部⋯⋯
Giloo presents a curated selection of finalists and award-winning works from the Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF), capturing the trajectories of individual lives shaped by era shifts, social structures, and cultural traditions. The narrative scope expands from the frontlines of war and resistance to everyday anxieties, the complexities of tradition, and philosophical reflections on the soul. The lens shifts from macro-level upheavals to an intimate gaze. We witness individuals seeking exits from systemic oppression, debating existence through traditional rituals, and attempting to summon lost souls through song and imagination amidst the embers of trauma. This is a profound dialogue that delves into the subtle nuances of life, inviting you to experience the true weight of memory and action.
No matter where you are, not just in Taiwan, international movie fans can easily watch too! The first wave of films from emerging creators are now live in our international section. Featuring top selections from prestigious film festivals like Golden Horse Awards and Golden Harvest Awards, as well as many highly anticipated emerging works for you to explore anytime, anywhere!
This year, Giloo teams up with TIDF to curate a special selection of past TIDF nominees and award-winning films. While you're enjoying the festival in person, don’t forget to sneak in a little break and relive (or... redeem?) some of the unforgettable works from previous editions—now available online.
Let us look through cinema at a group of people marginalized by their times, such as the stranded Kuomintang soldiers in Northern Thailand, and the Roma people who lack national protection. While some works focus on individuals, they can represent a collective destiny, including political victim Ko Chi-hwa, Kim Ryon-hui, the woman who vowed to return to her homeland North Korea, and Björn Andrésen, the beautiful boy deprived of his childhood. The unique charm of film lies in its ability to lead us to see sights and human figures we might never encounter in our lifetime.
Southeast Asia is rich in culture, rooted in the mainland’s embrace along the Indochinese Peninsula. Emerging from the shadows of colonial rule, many of its nations have blossomed—independent, yet bearing the deep scars of history. Amid the lingering wounds of empire and the continued suppression of free expression, creators transform discontent into poetic language—subtle yet sharp—delivering reality through the lens of documentary. Why not join us on this elusive journey—to experience the magic realism of Southeast Asia, where beauty and resistance intertwine?
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.
Some sacrifice countless lives for personal gain. Others, in the darkest and most fragile moments, reveal the noblest of virtues. From the abandoned remains of concentration camps, to journalists risking everything on the frontlines of the Middle East, to fractured peoples grappling with identity— these stories are haunting testimonies against the atrocities of humankind. Giloo presents five powerful documentaries that confront unhealed traumas. As long as pain persists, war cannot truly be over.
For most people, “home” naturally refers to the place one returns to each day—a space of comfort and rest for both body and soul. Yet for many around the world, the feeling of having a home is unimaginable. At some point in their lives, they were forced to leave—because of war, politics, or simply in pursuit of a better life—and began a journey of drifting, searching for a new sense of home. While trying to settle and take root, they continue to yearn for the ghost of a homeland left behind. Can this new home ever replace what was lost? Faced with new identities and unfamiliar neighbors, how do they perceive themselves? Have they become someone new, or are they destined to remain like rootless water plants, adrift?
It all started as a joke: “Will people say this is too Taiwanese?” After all, we’re the ones always afraid of being boring or too slow— and yet here we are, gritting our teeth and programming a lineup of gloriously slow cinema. But some stories can’t be skipped. Some lessons, no matter how painful, you just have to get through. Taiwan’s inner angst is like a deep bruise beneath the skin—long-settled and hard to press out. Sometimes, you just need a hot young masseur to work it loose. Whether you end up loving, hating, or feeling nothing at all about Taiwan, we invite you to revisit its joy, rage, sorrow, and everything in between. This film festival is like a sketchy pair of hands passing you crib notes under the table—an attempt to loosen what refuses to unclench, to summarize the unsummarizable.