Golden Horse Film Festival 2003 - what's good?

Taipei’s Golden Horse Film Festival is starting soon. I picked up a schedule already from Eslite (this year $10 nt ea.). They also have a Web site: http://www.goldenhorse.org.tw/
A few of the titles I recognize, but the vast majority of this year’s selection I have not heard of.
If anyone is planning to go to the Golden Horse fest this year, and has already picked out some must-see films, please share!

I want to see The Dreamers by Bernardo Bertolucci. The Dreamers tells the tale of an incestuous
menage-a-trois in a Paris apartment during the 1969 student uprisings.
Should be an interesting movie. I have never seen it before but it sounds juicy.

Chewy

I picked up a set of 12 tickets for $2000 a month ago, and it was a major fiasco trying to book seats for the various shows I wanted to see. The Era ticketing computer was down for nearly 3 hours when the computer was first open for booking, and nobody seemed to know what the procedure was. But after a hectic afternoon, I did book all the shows I wanted to see. I’m especially looking forward to Full Frontal, In This World, Far From Heaven, and the Saddest Music in the World.

When I went last year at the Lion in Ximending, I saw what turned out to be a favorite film of all time: 13 Conversations About One Thing. The GHFF is a great place to discover some cinematic gems.

It’s coming to Tainan as well, Yeah! Finally one of these things makes it down here to us Southies! :moo:

I really wonder why Tainan? Too obvious that because it is President’s hometown.

However, if I am in Tainan I will be happy too.

I am pissed . The article in the Taipei Times says oh yeah English website. But to buy tickets it directs you to a Chinese ticketing service. So, I asked a co teacher for some help. Most the movies I wanted to see were sold out or playing during the week, kinda outta the question since I live in Taoyuan. So, I found one that was playing on Saturday night. According to the website it wasn’t sold out. I went to Kingstone Books with a note in Chinese indicating which movie and time I wanted to see. She said it was sold out. Luckily I had the article and was like well, which movie isn’t sold out on the weekend. The stupid computer system for the tickets was in CHINESE. ALL the ENGLISH movies were on the computer in CHINESE. So, I had to leave empty handed. Thanks Taiwan.

I went to 3 shows over the weekend. While they were pretty full, none of them were packed (about 10% of the seats were empty). So I don’t know if they’re really sold out. Some of the more mainstream movies will be shown in regular theaters, such as Far From Heaven, Devdas, Le Divorce, and Goodbye, Lenin. The GHFF is practically a mecca to which Taipei’s artsy twentysomething set goes annually, and tickets tend to go very fast.

Interesting that there WERE vacant seats!

I saw “Straw Man” today here in Tainan. My Taiwanese roommate told me it was a famous classic so I tried it, and I’m glad I did. It was about a farming family struggling during the time of Japanese occupation. Although the English was butchered, it did have English subtitles. It was well done, had a good storyline, and characters, and helped me to learn some more about Taiwan. Although Japanese and Americans were the hated ones in the movie, so it may sting a bit if you are one of those nationalities!

Very good. Highly recommended if you get the chance to see it.

I saw “Travellers and Magicians” the other night. It is a flim from Bhutan. It has English subtitles. I liked it a lot.

If you are interested in the Himilaya region or Buddhism or Bhutan I especially recommend this film. I think the next (and final) showing is on Monday 12/8 at around noon.

I am not sure if the movie is “sold out.” I showed up the night of the first showing and got a single ticket that someone had returned. As Incubus stated, I did see some empty seats, but I couldn’t tell if these were no shows or what.

The director (a rinpoche) of the movie was at the first screening. He gave some great short (and humrous) answers to many of the questions asked at the post-film discussion session.

Anyone got any spare tickets to “Koyanasqatsi” (or the other two films in that series)?