Festival Special: Taiwan International Documentary Festival

In May, Taiwan became a haven for the documentary cinephiles once again: the biennial gem of a festival, TIDF, took place in Taipei after a long COVID-19 induced break. Besides showcasing a wide array of contemporary Taiwanese and Asian cinema, TIDF searches for auteur documentary discoveries bringing unique perspectives from around the world.

Their focus on Peter Kerekes and Viera Čákanyová was such a discovery of this edition: in their complex double retrospective, TIDF brought light on documentary perspectives from Slovakia, a country seemingly distant from that of a Pacific island. Upon a closer look, the parallels between the two small nation-states struggling for self-determination become apparent. DAFilms was lucky enough to witness the enthusiastic engagement of the TIDF audience in person - and now we are happy to bring this focus to our online audiences worldwide.

"With a sense of humour and curiosity, Peter Kerekes places himself in the situations of his subjects. He co-creates and re-enacts life stories with them through detailed observation and open dialogues. Even with heavy topics like political turmoil or war, the big picture is subtly conveyed in the recounted memories or performances in his boundary-breaking films. Viera Čákanyová's early works combine different genres and styles, representing the state of ordinary people in the post-communist era. The more recent 'Post-Human Trilogy' reflects on the climate crisis, examining civilisation and technology. With a continually evolving film language, her works consistently explore how the past is recorded, preserved, or even fabricated through personal memory or visual media. In an attempt to open a new path beyond the chronology of national cinema, the juxtaposition of these two esteemed auteurs with different approaches aims to delve into the multifaceted aspects and possibilities of exploring the so-called national reality." Read more about the TIDF curatorial approach by the programmer CHUNG Pei-hua here.