TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwanese directing duo, Wang Ping-wen (王品文) and Peng Tzy-hui (彭紫惠), won the Silver Shell Award for best director for the feature film "A Journey in Spring" (春行) at the 71st San Sebastian Film Festival on Saturday (Sept. 30).
They are the first Taiwanese film directors to win a major award category at the film festival, an important event for the Spanish-language movie industry, ranking just behind better-known festivals in Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Critics praised the film that stars veteran Taiwanese actors, Yang Kuei-mei (楊貴媚) and Jason King (喜翔), per CNA.
"A Journey in Spring" tells the story of a husband who is reluctant to let go after his wife's sudden death. Instead of dealing with her loss, he decides to put his wife's body in a freezer to keep her death a secret until a heavy rain damages the freezer and his wife's body begins to rot.
Further complicating the father's predicament is the arrival of the family's estranged son, who demands answers after seeing his mother's corpse in the freezer. His inquistive nature ups the ante on this dysfunctional family conflict played out before the camera.
"It has been five years since I set foot in Spain," said film director Wang Ping-wen (王品文). "I am honored to bring my work back to the place where I studied for my master's degree and win the Silver Shell Award. Both Taiwan and Spain nurtured my creativity, and I am very grateful to the San Sebastian Film Festival for allowing our first film to undertake this journey."
Upon learning the good news, Minister of Culture Shi Che (史哲) congratulated the two directors through a message delivered by Taipei’s Cultural Office in Spain. Shi said that "A Journey in Spring" faced fierce competition from 16 international films, becoming the first Taiwanese film to win a competitive category award at the film festival.
Shi added the work not only portrays Taiwanese culture but also emerging talent from young Taiwanese directors who have proven themselves to become internationally. He added the filmmakers have shown tremendous maturity, which has drawn more interest in Taiwan.
A still image from the award-winning Taiwanese feature film. (CNA photo)
