Taiwan Ambassador Praises Ranveer Singh's 'Dhurandhar'

Festival expands to Mumbai to showcase Taiwanese culture

The Taiwan Film Festival, which has been held annually in New Delhi, expanded to include Mumbai this year.

Organizers screen documentaries and dramas to introduce Indian audiences to Taiwanese technology, sports, and culture.

Ambassador Chen said cinema acts as a medium to communicate Taiwan's identity to Indian viewers. He also noted that a baseball film about Taiwan winning a world championship represents the spirit of perseverance.

Ambassador's personal appreciation for Indian cinema

Mumin Chen, a political science professor and ambassador, said he watches many political movies in India.

He expressed admiration for Aamir Khan, recalling watching Khan's films from his younger days and noting his recent productions that address Indian society and critical social issues. Chen also said he loves Shah Rukh Khan.

He noted that very few Indian friends know about Taiwanese movies.

TECC seeks deeper industrial and film cooperation

Ambassador Chen identified Taiwan's semiconductor industry and high-technology sectors as key strengths that could support closer cooperation with India. He expressed interest in greater collaboration between the Indian and Taiwanese film industries.

While some Indian movies have been filmed in Taiwan and there have been joint productions, Chen said this is not enough. He noted that India is a large movie country and Taiwanese people enjoy films.

Chen said he hopes more Indian films will be seen by audiences in Taiwan.

Isabelle Ling outlines 'Team Taiwan' festival themes

Isabelle Ling, head of the cultural division of the TECC, said the festival is organized in both New Delhi and Mumbai. The programme includes documentaries, dramas, and other genres to provide Indian audiences with a broader understanding of Taiwanese life.

Organizers aimed to communicate the idea of Team Taiwan by combining the themes of sport, technology, and culture. Ling said presenting these themes is particularly important given Taiwan's position in the international community, noting that for them, it is not easy to survive in the international society.

Ling highlighted existing interest in Indian cinema in Taiwan and expressed a desire for more Indian viewers to explore Taiwanese films. She referred to the film Demon Hunter, which was the first Indian-Taiwanese cooperation movie shown last year.

She said she hopes collaborations will grow as filmmakers from both countries learn from one another to create more joint projects. Ling noted the influence of Ang Lee on filmmakers worldwide and said cinema acts as a bridge to combine India and Taiwan.

The festival also intended to showcase LGBTQ-themed films, which are played on Sunday. Ling said this selection of different viewpoints is intended to encourage further communication between the two sides.

Netflix and the influence of Indian storytelling

Isabelle Ling of the TECC watches Indian films on Netflix regularly. She said Indian filmmakers excel at building engaging stories around ordinary subjects.

Ling pointed to the film Toaster as an example of how filmmakers take a small thing and extend it into a beautiful story. She suggested that Taiwanese audiences and filmmakers can learn from Indian storytelling approaches to exchange movie thinking.

Cultural exchange and attendee perspectives

Dance teacher Miyu Huang attended the festival in New Delhi after an invitation from the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center. Her group traveled to India for a performance and to participate in cultural events intended to bring Taiwanese and Indian traditions together.

Huang expressed her pride in India and her appreciation for Indian culture while noting she enjoys wearing Indian attire. Her group has a performance planned for Taiwan's National Day and will participate in the Lai Haraoba festival to present a dance-fusion drama based on the Ramayana.

Huang said she felt touched by the Taiwanese films shown at the festival because the movies encourage everyone. She expressed hope that more cross-cultural activities could help build stronger relationships between Taiwan and India.

Members of her group watch Indian films in theaters and named Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan as their favorite actors, recalling a viewing of the film Baahubali. Eric Erickson, an American living in Delhi since 2019, attended the festival after learning about it through Taiwanese friends.

Erickson watched the film Hero Hito at the festival and found it memorable because some of the opening scenes were shot in Arizona, where he grew up.