Taiwan Documentary Screenings

Taiwan Documentary Screenings - The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Canada, in collaboration with the Ottawa Public Library, will present five Taiwanese documentaries from 12 pm to 1 pm on four consecutive Wednesdays starting June 13. The documentary screenings are open to the public free of charge and will take place at the Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library, Main Library (120 Metcalfe St., Ottawa). The screening schedule is as follows: June 13 City of Cathay; Taiwan’s National Palace Museum in Transition June 20 Bird without borders: Black-faced spoonbills June 27 Huang Hai-Dai, King of Taiwanese Puppetry July 04 Natural Formosa All documentaries are narrated in either English or Mandarin, with Chinese or English subtitles.　 TECO collaborated with the OPL for the first time last November to bring seven Taiwanese documentaries to Ottawa audiences. Turnouts for the screenings were high and the films were widely praised. To meet Ottawa audiences’ expectations, TECO is working together again with the OPL to present these documentaries with topics covering the treasures of Taiwan’s National Palace Museum, Taiwanese folk art, and environmental and animal conservation. It is expected that, through these films, audiences can better understand Taiwan, this beautiful island country, from various angles. Synopses of the documentaries City of Cathay （June 13） This documentary captures the world’s most famous Chinese painting depicting the daily lives of 4,000 people in astonishing detail. The film is a joint production of Taiwan PTS and ARTE of France. (24 min; English narration, Chinese subtitles) Taiwan’s National Palace Museum in Transition （June 13） The museum preserves over 650,000 objects of art and serves as the treasure house of human civilization. This film depicts the museum’s 50 years of history in Taiwan, from preservation, to research, educational outreach programs, and digitalization of the art collection. (25 min; English narration) Bird without borders: Black-faced spoonbills （June 20） This film documents the endangered black-faced spoonbill’s epic journey, 2,000 kms from its wintering grounds in Taiwan, across coastal mainland China and the Yellow Sea, to the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, finally reaching the bird’s annual breeding ground. (60 min; Chinese narration, English subtitles) Huang Hai-Dai, King of Taiwanese Puppetry （June 27） Huang Hai-Dai represents Taiwan culture jus as Walt Disney represents the culture in the United Stages. The legendary puppet master was responsible not only for transforming the ancient art of budaixi (hand puppetry), but also for establishing its success as a form of mass entertainment. (45 min; English narration, Chinese subtitles) Natural Formosa （July 4） “Natural Formosa” contains heart-warming stories of humankind’s close relationship with the natural environment. The crew has travelled extensively over Taiwan during 18 months of filming, in an attempt to observe Nature at work and to capture the beauty of the mountains and rivers in Taiwan. (60 min; Chinese narration, English subtitles) 120 Metcalfe St