• 2023-03-06

The National Central Library collaborated with six Taiwan-based organizations and embassies, such as Alliance Française de Taïwan to coordinate with francophone and francophone cultural moment series of events held around the world in March, selecting seven francophone films to launch the film pageant, the 2023 Taiwan French Month French Film Festival (Festival du film francophone). The opening ceremony began with the voices of lively children singing French songs. It had been arranged for students from three schools—Taipei Minzu Elementary School, Taipei European School and Lycée International Français de Taipei — to sing two lively and upbeat songs together. The seven representatives of the joint organizers who attended the opening ceremony were: Director-General Shu-hsien Tseng of the National Central Library; Director Mr. Frédéric Verheyden of The Belgian Office, Taipei; Martin Laflamme, Director (Political and Cultural Affairs) at the Canadian Trade Office in Taipei; Jean-Francois Casabonne-Masonnave, Director of Bureau Français de Taipei; H.E. Ambassador Roudy Stanley Penn of the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti; Tania Berchem, Director, Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office, Taipei, and Claudia Fontana Tobiassen, Deputy Director of the Trade Office of Swiss Industries. Each of them delivered remarks at the ceremony on March 2.

Director-General Tseng said that language is the basis of culture and also the crystallization of culture. The development of various language families around the world, moreover, not only facilitated cultural evolution, but also enriched the civilization of mankind. Through language as the carrier and soul of culture, our world view became more diverse. The National Central Library had always maintained close cultural and educational exchanges and cooperation with overseas missions in Taiwan, involving speeches, new book releases, Taiwan Reading Festival readings, book fairs and other promotional activities. The National Central Library was delighted to serve in this way as a platform for international cultural exchange, and, through various different types of reading and listening activities, to drive improvements in citizens’ cognitive learning and appreciation of life. She deeply believed, she said, that Taiwan French Month French Film Festival would once again bring the Taiwan public a brilliant, rich visual feast and represented a tremendous opportunity to get to know the diverse francophone culture and its values.

On the opening day, March 2, over 300 people attended; students and teachers from francophone circles and elementary schools and francophile members of the public, coming together for the occasion and enjoying the two films Marona’s Fantastic Tale (L’extraordinaire voyage de Marona) and the opener, Unrest, experiencing the rich and diverse cultural content of French as it is interpreted and plays out in different countries. Screenings continued, on March 3 and 4, of such choice cinematic works of various countries as Forward (France), Summer of 85 (France), The Elephant and the Butterfly (Belgium),