The Taiwan International Human Rights Film Festival, organized by the National Human Rights Museum, recognized compelling, meaningful filmmaking at the event’s first awards ceremony Oct. 12 in Taipei City.
According to the NHRM, 20 films were shortlisted from 102 submissions to the festival’s inaugural awards. During the ceremony, Deputy Culture Minister Sue Wang said the participating films cover a wide range of topics, including the White Terror, labor rights, judicial justice, religious freedom and migrant issues, and underscore the importance of images as a powerful tool for preserving social memories and promoting human rights dialogue.
“The Taste of Pork Belly,” directed by Sophie Shui, claimed the top prize in the Open Category. Inspired by the childhood experiences of a Taiwanese writer, the film depicts the 1960s under martial law through the eyes of a young boy who discovers his parents’ dark secrets.
“The Treasure Seeker” and “Ash” took second and third in the category, respectively, with the former exploring political persecution in the White Terror period and the latter focusing on judicial justice and humanity.
In the Student Category, “A Better Place,” directed by Ben Oui from Malaysia, was named winner of the top prize for its exploration of the increasingly blurred line between foreign students and migrant workers in Taiwan.
“Between Farewells and New Beginnings,” which portrays the lives of elderly Chinese women in Taiwan after their veteran husbands die, won the second-place award. Third place went to “Where’d My Brother Go?,” a discussion of religious freedom based on the director’s personal experience.
Source: Taiwan Today (https://taiwantoday.tw/index.php)
