A slew of Taiwanese movies at the Cannes Film Festival offer the island an increasingly rare chance to tell its stories on the global stage. These days few countries even have formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, a self-ruled island that is claimed by Beijing. Introducing his neo-noir thriller "Locust" at the world-famous festival, artist and director KEFF said he was "not interested in debating whether or not Taiwan should be a country.
" "But we've gotten to a point where to even reflect the reality of Taiwan is to be provocative. And I don't agree with that," he told AFP. "Locust" centers on Zhong-Han, a restaurant worker who runs with a violent gang by night, and is mute -- a striking metaphor for his home island.
"Zhong-Han represents a generation that is unable to speak for itself, but also a place, Taiwan, that is unable to speak for itself," the director said. Actor Liu Wei-chen was forbidden to speak for weeks before shooting began, to prepare for the role. Meanwhile "Mongrel," which premiered Monday, explores the lives of undocumented workers, including a caregiver living in the mountains of Taiwan.
Its producer, Lynn Chen, told The Hollywood Reporter that Cannes provides an opportunity to share a "unique and compelling cinematic experience." KEFF, who has lived much of his life in the United States, set out to create his portrait of Taiwanese youth soon after moving back to the island in 2019. He observed a surprising lack of interest from younger generations in.