Laugh and cry at the first Taiwan Film Festival

Auspiciously coinciding with the Moon Festival is the first-ever Taiwan Film Festival at the Shangri-La Cineplex featuring seven award-winning films that will "touch your heart, stir your emotions, and make you laugh, cry, swoon and sigh," Taiwan Ambassador Donald C.T. Lee said at the opening night on Wednesday. The festival opened with a screening of Kung Fu Dunk, a funny and touching story about the 'basketball orphan' Fang Jie. Basketball, a personal drama fit for a telenovela, and a very entertaining soundtrack made for a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Two seats away from me, a woman could hardly keep still in her seat from alternately laughing and clapping with amusement.

The opening scene shows the newborn Jie abandoned near a basketball court. A man finds him, and seeing that the baby is left with a booklet on Kung Fu, he brings the baby to the Kung Fu masters. Years later, Jie is a rebellious teenager. Locked out of the school one night, he meets Wang Li, who discovers Jie's talent for shooting empty soda cans into a trash bin. Wang Li decides to make Jie a newsworthy star who will play basketball until he finds his parents. At some point, the Kung Fu masters step in to help Jie's team win the championship, and the opposing team is literally swept off their feet with the masters' martial arts-infused game. Yes, it sounds like Shaolin Soccer. Yes, it sounds cheesy. But we were laughing the whole time. It was not at all a bad way to spend two hours, and it isn't just because I had recently seen a very heavy play. Despite the so-so plot and the somewhat predictable punchlines, the almost non-stop laughter was heartfelt. If that isn't enough to make you want to watch it, one song on the soundtrack has lyrics involving goosebumps falling into a spicy hotpot. While the thought was probably lost in translation, it was a very effective way to cheer up. If you're the type that likes to watch movies to relax, Kung Fu Dunk is a very good idea. If Jie's story doesn't appeal to you, there are six other award-winning films in the festival. There's the singer Aga in Cape No. 7 (2008), who sets off for Taipei to fulfill his dreams. There's Chocolate Rap (2006), where the breakdancer Choco's successful career is stunted by a car accident. There's Fishing Luck (2005), where the beautiful Zing interrupts the peaceful life of "The Three Musketeers" Behong, Jeddah, and Qingkuang. Then there's Our Island, Our Dreams (2009) where life for Kinmen islanders Xing Jun, A Jin, and A Wu changes with the arrival of soldier Han Wei, who falls for Xing Jun. There's Orzboyz! which features two mischief-makers planning to go to the fairytale world of OZ through a portal in a water park. There's also the dissatisfied Eurasian Yang Yang (2009), who runs away from home on a quest for intimacy. While there isn't that much to go on based on descriptions, Ambassador Lee's introduction to the festival is quite promising. Given the global village, he says it is paramount for everyone to have a better understanding of the culture, economic, social and political conditions of other nations. "Film is a far-reaching medium for helping us to appreciate another culture and another people. By showing films that are uniquely of Chinese taste, people around the world can be introduced to Taiwan's society and culture," he said. Lala Fojas, executive vice-president and general manager of Shangri-La Plaza Corporation, said film lovers will certainly be entertained and enthralled by Taiwanese movies. "These cinematic masterpieces are more than just a testament to the outstanding quality of the Taiwanese film industry... these films brilliantly portray the values, the lifestyles, the culture of the Republic of China in various genres from drama to comedy to romance," she said. She ended her introduction by quoting the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. This dream of a film festival is certainly an important first step to many cultural exchanges that will promote the rich and fascinating culture of the Republic of China," she said. - GMANews.TV