While mainland China’s Golden Rooster Awards crowed all over social media about the star power of its attendees, the more modest Golden Horses in Taiwan this year had to make do with a red ca…
The procession outside of the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall beneath the shadow of the towering Taipei 101 skyscraper attracted only a thin crowd of passers-by who remained oddly silent for most of its duration, as there were few known faces amongst the many newcomer nominees to scream over. A few Japanese attendees such as Palme d’Or winner Hirokazu Kore-eda and actor Masatoshi Nagase added a sprinkle of international glamour.
But for those who value creative freedoms, the celebrity wattage at the Golden Roosters was merely lipstick on the pig of an event that critics say still holds adherence to Communist party-approved messaging above artistic merit. But it’s not just locals who share such values. Two dozen or so super-cinephiles from the mainland were such die-hard supporters of the festival that they found ways to defy Beijing’s travel ban on individuals visiting Taiwan. One, who asked to go by the surname Kim for fear of personal repercussions, paid in actual blood.
“I originally thought this work was a parable. I didn’t expect it would become a reality, and that reality surpassed the imaginative possibility of animation; it’s really absurd,” he said, nervously reading from a note card as he clarified: “The current situation in Hong Kong makes one feel deep sorrow.”
In her acceptance speech for best feature, “A Sun” producer Ye Rufen choked up in the final comment of the night over a subtle reference to the potential troubles ahead for the. She reaffirmed the festival’s commitment to its core value of celebrating cinema, before saying: “No matter the past, the present or the future… no matter the dark night, no matter the shadows, the sun will always come out.
A journalist from Taiwan’s Liberty Times tried to come to the rescue by shouting that he couldn’t understand the English-language question, and jury head, Golden Horse Lifetime achievement award-winning director Wang Toon, followed suit, trying to brush it aside.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
‘The Wandering Earth’ Triumphs At China’s Golden Rooster AwardsBig budget Chinese sci-fi The Wandering Earth took home the best picture prize at this year’s Golden Rooster Awards. Scroll down for the full list of winners. The ceremony, which was held today in …
Read more »
Japan's Suchmos Appears as Special Guest at Taiwan's Golden Indie Music AwardsJ-pop band Suchmos performed at the 10th Golden Indie Music Awards in Taiwan on Saturday (Nov. 16) as a special overseas guest.
Read more »
‘A Sun’, ‘Detention’ Top Winners At Taiwan’s Golden Horse AwardsChung Mong-hong’s Taiwanese family drama A Sun scooped the best narrative feature prize at the 2019 Golden Horse Awards, which were held today in Taipei. Scroll down for the full list of winn…
Read more »
Teddy Roosevelt And The Golden Tickets: A President's 'Cold War' With BaseballTeddy Roosevelt went to college football games. He invited boxing and wrestling champions to the White House. He even installed a tennis court on the White House lawn. But there was one sport he never liked. OnlyAGameNPR
Read more »
Golden Child Talk 'Re-Boot'ing Career A Year Since Last ReleaseK-pop boy band Golden Child discuss releasing 'Re-boot' album and 'Wannabe' single after a year's hiatus.
Read more »
Golden Globes: More New Contenders Cause Increased Voting IssuesLast year, the amount of original scripted television series hit an all-time high at just under 500. This year the number is on track to top out well above that, with 154 of those shows being brand…
Read more »