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Taiwan’s puppetry shines at Rotterdam Film Festival
Taiwan’s historical documentary "Qianlong’s Tour of the West Lake" has been chosen for the Cinema Regained category at the 2024 International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR), showcasing Taiwan’s traditional hand puppetry culture. Directed by Liu Yi-hung in 1994, the film was restored from 35mm original footage to 4K, paying tribute to Taiwanese puppet master Li Tien-lu and his ’I Wan Jan Puppet Theater.’ The IFFR’s recognition of Liu’s work highlights Taiwan’s cinematographic prowess. Li, born into a family of puppeteers, founded the I Wan Jan Puppet Theater in 1932, incorporating his distinctive Southern Min dialect. The IFFR previously screened the Taiwanese puppet film "Demigod: The Legend Begins" multiple times in 2023, further promoting Taiwan’s puppetry culture. The selection of "Qianlong’s Tour of West Lake" at the 2024 Rotterdam Film Festival brings Taiwan’s traditional puppetry culture closer to European movie enthusiasts. The IFFR, taking place from Jan. 25 to Feb. 4, 2024, has chosen three Taiwanese films, including "Who’ll Stop the Rain" by director Su Yi-hsuan and "When the Wind Rises" directed by Chen Hao, showcasing the breadth and quality of Taiwan’s filmmaking.2024/01/04 15:26