The awards ceremony of the 14th Taiwan International Documentary Festival (TIDF) took place on May 16. 42 nominated films in the Asian Vision Competition, International Competition, Taiwan Competition and 14 works shortlisted for the TIDF Visionary Award, an award for promoting sinophone documentaries, competed for 11 awards.
The Programme Director Wood Lin says this is his 7th time participating in TIDF's programming since 2010, and a persistent self-pursuit for incarnating the spirit of documentary through curating has made each version more challenging than imagined. He also thanks all the filmmakers at the ceremony for devoting their lives to and fully engaging in filmmaking; their works are wonderful gifts that introduce the complexity and beauty of the world to the audience in Taiwan. He then quoted this year's Outstanding Contribution Award recipient, Chang Chao-tang: “We exist, because people who remember us”, saying that TIDF also exists because all who participate, remembers it.
In Taman-taman (Park) directed by So Yo-hen, the multilayer narrative unfolds through the encounters between two Indonesian poets in Tainan Park. The Grand Prize winner of the Asian Vision Competition, this film is praised by the jury as a highly original oeuvre: surprising, audacious, and innovative in its form and narrative, with radical mis-en-scène and vivid settings that make the entire film interesting and meaningful. The Jury Prize goes to K-Family Affairs, a documentary by Nam Arum from South Korea about her family story. The film is hailed as successfully intertwining a personal story with universal themes; it reveals the director's particular family experience and also deeply reflects the status quo and history of South Korea. Announced as the winner, Nam Arum immediately bursts into tears. She talks about the unfavourable social conditions in her country and feels deeply about winning this award, which brings her the courage to move on. She also wishes this award would inspire more effort for democratization in Asia.
The Special Prize goes to Damnatio Memoriae, recognized for cleverly connecting many forgotten histories and stories of massacres on the Asian continent, through juxtaposition of pop music with propaganda footage, moving the audience towards a thought-provoking exercise. The director Thunska Pansittivorakul from Thailand says he was touched by many outstanding works at the festival and, thanks to such a sense of collectivity, he no longer feels alone. The jury also presents a Special Mention to Song of Souls directed by Sai Naw Kham from Myanmar, a film of calmness and courage, which allows neglected communities to speak out in a situation filled with challenges.
Complete Winners List
Asian Vision Competition
Grand Prize: Taman-taman (Park)
Jury Prize: K-Family Affairs
Special Prize: Damnatio Memoriae
Special Mention: Song of Souls
International Competition
Grand Prize: The Trial
Jury Prize: Knit's Island
Special Mention: Guapo'y
Taiwan Competition
Grand Prize: Taman-taman (Park)
Jury Prize: Diamond Marine World
TIDF Visionary Award
Grand Prize: The Clinic
Special Jury Prize: Taman-taman (Park)
Taiwan Film Critics Society Prize: Parallel World
Next Generation Award
My Stolen Planet
Audience Award
My Stolen Planet
Outstanding Contribution Award
CHANG Chao-tang
