2006
Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale
《柏林日報》讀者評審獎
《柏林日報》讀者評審獎
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.
Some choose to change society through words. Some release pressure through acts of violence. Others exile themselves in sex. When values and beliefs collapse, what remains—ghosts or humans? In a world spiraling out of order, they descend into collective ecstasy and moral decay— yet also rise in fierce, unrelenting debate. They may be revolutionaries from Japan’s student movement era, a gay man reenacting the Oedipal tale of desire and patricide, or men and women consumed by the thrill of power and lust. But beneath these extremes of reason and emotion lies a common thread: a desperate, lucid critique of existence itself. Giloo presents six handpicked films from East Asia— each delving into a raw and radical human struggle on the edge of belief, where the urge to live collides with the desire to disappear.
Love can bind—but it can also unravel. When blood becomes the beginning of tragedy, home turns into an inescapable prison. In collaboration with the National Theater & Concert Hall, Giloo Documentaries presents the 2022 TIFA Film Series. At its center: a decades-old murder born out of love, a secret buried by three generations for over half a century… What should a family be? What does a “home” really mean? Alongside this series, the NTCH presents special screenings of Amsterdam’s Internationaal Theater’s House of Ibsen and After the Rehearsal / Persona—two powerful theatrical works that explore love, memory, and the haunting weight of family legacy. Come experience these epic family sagas, and witness the many faces of love.
The late Taiwanese writer Lee Wei-jing wrote in her book I Am Hsu Liang-liang: “But how could you blame a girl? Isn’t that what girlhood is? Only through an intense yearning for love can one generate the power to change the world. The ability to defy the universe—that is the essence of a girl’s strength.” A girl’s love, youth, and sorrow have long served as the most compelling themes in art—and the ones most longed for by creators. Through the devotion and actions of girls, these stories blossom, rooted in the fierce emotional landscape of adolescence. The artist's ambition may be real, but can the girl’s heart remain authentic under the aesthetic filter of art? This playlist features films that place girls at the center of the gaze—their bodies and desires exposed to the audience. But are these girls truly vivid and alive, or merely aestheticized slices of youth? The answer awaits you in viewing.
Austrian psychologist Alfred Adler once said: “Lucky are those who heal their whole lives with childhood; the unlucky spend a lifetime healing from it.” Family isn’t always a source of happiness. For some, the deepest wounds were left at the very beginning of life—long before they had the words to name them. Giloo presents a selection of 8 films on childhood trauma, dedicated to those who may not have received the love they deserved. May these stories accompany you as you face the past, and gently begin the journey toward healing.
The kind of person you are shapes the kind of film you make—with Sagittarius directors, this couldn’t be more true. At 19, I watched a film by Emir Kusturica, and it completely changed the way I thought about filmmaking. The first time I attended a film festival, I was “shocked” by the featured director, Terayama Shūji. I stumbled into film school by chance, but it was in a film analysis class that Yasujirō Ozu’s black-and-white depictions of family life stirred memories from my childhood. Later, on my own filmmaking path, I was left speechless by Kim Ki-duk’s rapid production pace and prolific output. Thank goodness for cinema! For a freedom-loving, wildly imaginative Sagittarius like me, filmmaking is how I express the spirit of adventure, passion, and courage that defines who I am.
Humans pride themselves on being "rational animals," yet in waving the banner of reason, how often do we overlook the passions and turbulence that defy reduction? Are our actions truly as orderly and logical as we believe? At what point does the pursuit of order and truth tip into the realm of madness? Perhaps "strangeness" is an essential part of being human — and the boundary between reason and insanity is far thinner than we imagine.
Family isn’t always unconditional love. Sometimes, it’s the very beginning of a lifelong entanglement—or even hatred. A cult leader yearning for motherhood. A New York boy locked away by a controlling father. A mother who never grew up, and a child abandoned by the world... There’s no fixed definition of an “ideal family,” but broken families come in countless forms. Giloo presents 5 films about fractured households—and asks: If there’s a monster in your home that you can’t escape, can you still call it a safe haven?
The erotic classic The Lover boldly pushes the boundaries of sensual cinema. Freaks blends horror and surrealism into a provocative spectacle of visual violence and beauty. In In the Realm of the Senses, an unforgettable depiction of suffocating, all-consuming desire secures its place in film history. In Oasis, two marginalized individuals find a love purer than anything the world around them can understand. And in Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, Ryuichi Sakamoto and David Bowie share the screen—and a legendary, forbidden kiss. These films dare to confront desire, taboo, and tenderness—through shock, poetry, and unforgettable images.
For me, most of my creative work stems from past life experiences—sometimes shaped by my feelings toward a city, other times sparked by an interest in a particular issue. These elements collectively form the thread of thought that defines who I am in the present. What draws me most to documentary films is the opportunity to follow a director’s unique perspective—like stepping into a time tunnel, witnessing the unfolding of people, events, and moments. And it’s from these deeply felt encounters that I find the inspiration to transform them into new creative energy.