Sounds in Silence

Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh present a double bill of silent cinema gems offering an extraordinary glimpse into the everyday lives of Taiwanese people in the early and mid-20th century.

Director Pai Jing-jui’s 1964 short documentary A Morning in Taipei depicts a modern, industrious Taipei and its people, going about their morning routines – exercising in the park, joining in the prayer, preparing for work. The day is full of wonder and possibility.

Born in 1931 in Yingkou, Liaoning, Pai Jing-jui became the first person from Taiwan to study film in Italy where he found inspiration in Italian neorealism.

Deng Nan-Guang’s 57-minute-long collection of 8mm short films shot between 1935 and 1941 captures an overlooked side of Taiwanese life under Japanese occupation in the lead up to WW2, depicting the lives of ordinary people in a variety of settings including parks, in the countryside, by the sea. Screened to a live music score from a Glasgow-based experimental musician Rory Green.

Taiwan Film Festival is a nomadic UK festival delving deep into the rich history and culture of the people of Taiwan, an island country in South-eastern Asia. The second edition of Taiwan Film Festival Edinburgh takes place digitally and in-person between 25 and 31 October.
#TaiwanFFE