The Golden Horse Film Festival, which operates the premier awards in the Chinese-language film industry, has teamed up with Cannes’ Marché du Film to showcase a handful of new films and projects under the banner Golden Horse Goes to Cannes.
To be presented May 16, the five films comprise new works from directors Chen Yu-hsun, Yang Ya-che, Huang Xi, Giddens Ko and John Hsu, with such high-profile producers as Lee Lieh, Sylvia Chang, Aileen Li, Jeffrey Chan and Hou Hsiao-hsien.
Yang Ya-che, known for Golden Horse-winning “The Bold, the Corrupt and the Beautiful,” and for shaping the careers of several actors, returns behind the camera with “The Chronicles of Libidoists.”
It was a standout at the Golden Horse project market, while at the production stage, the scandalous nature of its erotic take on “The Little Mermaid” tale meant that the names of the cast had to be kept secret.
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They are now known to include established talents Wu Kang-ren and Will Or, alongside newcomers Liu Chu-ping and Alisia Liang.
“I often went into anonymous online chats on weekends to talk about sex with people of the same gender, different gender and different sexual orientations. Some of their wonderful desires were able to be integrated into this movie,” Yang says.
Previously responsible for $8 million box-office hit “Detention,” director Hsu returns with dark comedy “Dead Talents Society.” The story involves the alliance established by two ghosts, one a rookie, the other more established, as they try to become the scariest spooks. Sony Pictures is a major investor.
“I didn’t particularly enjoy the success of ‘Detention,’ as it came with the stigma of being an adaptation. So, when the original idea of ‘Dead Talents Society’ came to me, I immediately realized that it’s going to be a comedy or satire, which I’m more comfortable with. I wanted it to be smaller than ‘Detention,’ with more creative freedom and some goofy fun,” Hsu says.
Novelist-turned-filmmaker Ko burst on the film scene with his 2011 debut, “You Are the Apple of My Eye,” a school-set drama that played across Asia and was remade in Japanese and Thai. His upcoming “Kung Fu,” starring Leon Dai, Kai Ko and Berant Zhu, is a modern adventure about two high school losers learning kung fu under the tutelage of a mystery man.
“The most challenging part was shooting the action and fight sequences. I was worried that the actors would be exhausted or injured. In contrast, I am looking forward to the other kind of challenges, especially those of special effects and post-production,” says Ko.
In “A Foggy Tale,” “My Missing Valentine” director Chen delivers a tear-jerking drama about a young girl who, some 70 years ago, takes on a dangerous journey to bring back the remains of her family. The cast includes Golden Horse Award winner Caitlin Fang, nominee Will Or and musician-turned-actress 9m88.
“Maybe it is because I have reached a certain age, I became curious about the lives of my previous generations, particularly during that rarely mentioned period of the White Terror [1948-1992]. Many lives were ruthlessly taken away, seemingly forgotten without a sound or anyone caring, as if they never existed. I feel indignant for the victims and their families, but I do not harbor resentment towards anyone,” Chen says.
Taipei’s most celebrated actor and producer, Sylvia Chang, reteams with director Huang Xi after working together on HBO series “Twisted Strings,” this time on “Daughter’s Daughter.” With a strongly female perspective, the film takes a deep dive into mother-daughter relations and in-vitro fertilization. “Throughout Taiwan’s journey towards legalizing same-sex marriage, countless stories emerged, some issues extending beyond marriage, and being more complex. IVF is one of them applies to a larger portion of the population than one might suspect,” says Huang.
The Golden Horse Goes to Cannes event is additionally backed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture, under the 1plus4—T-content plan, Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival Executive Committee and the Bureau of Audio-visual and Music Industry Development.
