Taiwan's Women Make Waves International Film Festival, the country's first and only event dedicated to supporting female filmmakers, is providing a platform for women in film to gain greater visibility.
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00:00Braving the wind to get the perfect shot,
00:05Taiwanese director Chao Wen-jie is filming a documentary,
00:09Fengshou Da – Island of People.
00:11For two years, working with co-director Ling Wan-yu,
00:15they've been in close contact with the indigenous Dawu people from Lanyu,
00:19an island off the southeastern coast of Taiwan, to tell their story.
00:23The community is working to balance modern life
00:26while preserving their cultural heritage.
00:30Dawu – Island of People
00:35I think it's about telling a story that you care about,
00:39a story that you like,
00:41and a story that you feel can be told.
00:47People from other places need to understand you.
00:50Actually, the most effective and fastest way is through documentaries.
00:53Filming the people, facts, and things of this place,
00:56is the most realistic way.
00:59Chao's film is part of the
01:01Women Make Waves International Film Festival in Taiwan.
01:04Women Make Waves is the only and first film festival in Taiwan
01:08supporting female talents.
01:10Since it started in 1993,
01:12it has been screening over hundreds of films
01:14from international and local filmmakers.
01:17And now this year, it's screening 18 pieces from local directors.
01:22Women Make Waves
01:25Unlike other film festivals,
01:27Women Make Waves centers on films with a feminist perspective,
01:31going beyond mainstream narratives
01:33to highlight voices and issues
01:35that are often overlooked and underexplored.
01:38There are very few female directors.
01:41At that time, there were very few places where they could be showcased.
01:46But after 30 years, we are now in a very big theater.
01:50And there are more and more female directors.
01:53When the festival first opened,
01:55less than 20 films were screened at the event.
01:58That's grown to over 100 this year.
02:01In fact, the works of female directors in Taiwan are all very, very good.
02:05They also need a platform
02:07to let the works of female directors be seen,
02:10and the views of women be seen.
02:12Though the film festival sheds light
02:14on these voices and topics from women,
02:16it's still not enough.
02:33Taiwan has seen a growing number of female filmmakers,
02:36especially in documentaries.
02:38But despite the significant strides women have made,
02:41more needs to be done
02:43to ensure they receive equal opportunities
02:45and recognition across the industry.