NDHU’s Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures and the Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival are happy to announce the Hualien edition of the 2020 Taiwan International Ethnographic Film Festival (TIEFF), the oldest and longest running festival of its kind in Asia, featuring fourteen films specially selected from the 35 films with appeared at last year’s festival in Taipei. Founded in 2001, the biennial festival is Asia’s oldest and longest running international ethnographic film festival. For 18 years TIEFF has served to promote outstanding documentary films from around the world that are innovative, educational, and entertaining. These films, directed by both new and established filmmakers alike, all share a commitment to portraying stories and social practices from around the world in a culturally sensitive way.
This year’s theme
This year’s theme, “Visions of Sovereignty,” explores our relationships with our land, our bodies, and with each other. Moving beyond traditional political-legal notions of the state, “Visions of Sovereignty” is inspired by the work of indigenous activists and scholars who have called into question the idea that sovereign entities are neatly bounded by clearly marked borders, and that everyone within those boundaries is equally beholden to the state. Instead they ask us to look at sovereignty as a process shaped by how we see our world and our unique place within it. Going back to Hobbes the state has long been thought of as a giant person, with the focus on the body’s head, occupied by a king or some other ruler. “Visions of Sovereignty” returns our gaze to the stories of the individual men and women who make up the body of the state, showing how they adapt to, challenge, and sometimes even change the very nature of sovereignty.
Program details
The festival will be held over one week, from Friday November 13th till Friday November 20th. The full schedule is listed below, and will be updated to reflect any changes. Be sure to check back here for updates, or follow the Facebook page to get notifications and other news about the 2020 Hualien edition of TIEFF.
All films are presented with both English and Chinese subtitles, and will be followed by a discussion led by a National Dong Hwa University faculty member. For many films the director will either be present in person, or online for a post-film Q&A. Check the program (below) for details.
All films are free and open to the public, but seating is limited and available on a first-come-first-serve basis. (With the exception of student groups which have made arrangements ahead of time.)
Locations
Films will be held either at the Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau (Friday November 13th through Sunday November 15th), or at National Dong Hwa University (NDHU, Wednesday November 18th through Friday November 20th). Specific locations on the NDHU campus are still being arranged. Check the latest version of the program for updates.
– See here for directions to the Hualien County Cultural Affairs Bureau.
– See here for directions to the NDHU campus.
Contact
If you have any questions, please contact 劉尉楷 (Liu Weikai) at dearwakeups at gmail dot com, or message us via the Facebook page.
NDHU’s Department of Ethnic Relations and Cultures
The Department of Ethnic Relations and Culture at National Dong Hwa University is committed to cultivating interdisciplinary and multicultural perspectives on ethnic theory and practice. We are very pleased to once again cooperate with the Taiwan Ethnographic Film Festival to organize the Hualien edition of this important cultural event. Those who are interested in learning more about our department, please check out our webpage.
