1982
Golden Horse Awards
最佳女主角提名
Directed by 李美彌
Taiwan has long since become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ+ lives seem to be increasingly woven into everyday life. Yet, when we turn our gaze to Asia’s mainstream media and cinema, where are the stories of lesbian women? The love left unspoken, the relationships that defy definition, and the intimacies that blur the line between friendship and romance—are they still hidden beyond the frame? And when lesbian women do appear on screen, how often are their stories truly told from their own perspectives? This time, through a collection of films, we summon those who have always been there, yet have rarely been seen. “I summon you by this name. Reveal yourself.”
Vancouver TAIWANfest describes itself as “a festival that wildly encourages dialogue.” But when it comes to gender, there are often many reasons not to talk about it. To save face, to protect the bigger picture, to keep family harmony, or simply to avoid discomfort. When words feel difficult, could film offer another way into the conversation? Through moving images, documentaries, and the intimate realities of individual lives, these works bring us closer to one another. Before rushing to say yes or no, we invite you to first sit with the complexity, diversity, and beauty of being human. Special thanks to our film selectors: Nathalie CHANG(CHANG Yi-Hsum) (Novelist), Rachel (Guitarist, P!SCO), Ted LIAO (Chef, Monsoon), Charlie SMITH (Editor, Pancouver), and Luna (TAIWANfest team).
What is the relationship between art and society? Is it possible for art to exist outside of society, as a kind of “pure land”? How does art reflect the evolution of an era—or even move ahead of its time to drive change? This has been the central question I’ve explored since I first began creating. From the great creators of East and West, to protestors striving for change, and finally to local actors taking action on the ground. “Living in this era, what dreams can we still hold on to?” In pragmatic despair, I pragmatically believe that both creation and action, like water, can flow into and fill the cracks that our times so urgently need.