Trying to become the ideal adult, only to realize that no matter your age, the fear of the unknown never truly fades? With limited life experience, we struggle to survive in an ever-changing world. We become parents, yet still carry the weight of our own upbringing. Here are five soul-nourishing cinematic “coming-of-age remedies” to help you rediscover your original self and strength—bring along your inner child and taste the essence of growth: Yi Yi, a Taiwanese New Wave masterpiece, reflects the quiet milestones of growing up. When dreams fall apart, All About Lily Chou-Chou captures the angst of disillusioned youth. Lost your way? Get gloriously drunk with Another Round, the Oscar-winning Danish hit. Feeling bound by your roots? Draw rebellious inspiration from Afghanistan’s maverick filmmaker in Nothingwood. And if loneliness creeps in, turn to the extraordinary lives of creators like Cheng Wen, Steve Jobs, Yayoi Kusama, and Agnès Varda. Sometimes, growing up isn’t about letting go of your inner child—but learning how to walk with them.
Author那些電影教我的事人生就像是一部電影，精不精彩取決於你怎麼看，和怎麼感受。我們是一對愛看電影的小夫妻。水ㄤ愛看科幻&動作片，水某愛看懸疑&文藝片。每部電影我們都覺得教了我們一兩件事，希望與大家分享！
Taiwan has long since become the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, and LGBTQ+ lives seem to be increasingly woven into everyday life. Yet, when we turn our gaze to Asia’s mainstream media and cinema, where are the stories of lesbian women? The love left unspoken, the relationships that defy definition, and the intimacies that blur the line between friendship and romance—are they still hidden beyond the frame? And when lesbian women do appear on screen, how often are their stories truly told from their own perspectives? This time, through a collection of films, we summon those who have always been there, yet have rarely been seen. “I summon you by this name. Reveal yourself.”
The Taiwan Film Festival of Boston is dedicated to showcasing Taiwan’s diverse cultures and social landscapes through cinema while fostering meaningful exchange between Taiwanese filmmakers and North American audiences. Since 2011, the New Taipei City Documentary Film Award has supported documentary filmmaking and encouraged creators to engage with their times, capturing lived experiences and social realities through the moving image. Together, the two organizations present this virtual film festival, featuring outstanding works from past editions of the Taiwan Film Festival of Boston and the New Taipei City Documentary Film Award. By bringing Taiwanese stories of ecology, culture, identity, and coming of age beyond geographical boundaries, this collaboration invites audiences around the world to discover Taiwan through the lens of documentary filmmaking and engage in cross-cultural dialogue. Through the power of documentary cinema, the festival seeks to foster greater cross-cultural understanding, celebrate the creativity and vitality of Taiwan’s documentary tradition, and strengthen connections between New Taipei City, Taiwanese filmmakers, and international film communities. New Taipei City Documentary Award Section Title | Habitats of Life Envisioning a Sustainable Future Where People and the Environment Thrive Together From oceans and forests to where Indigenous communities and cities meet, life seeks ways to survive, grow, and belong. Where the Bees Belong, Hearing from the Dolphin, The Elimination, A Tayal, and Childhood In Between explore ecological conservation, wildlife conditions, cultural heritage, and identity, revealing complex relationships between people, nature, and society. As habitats shift and generations change, each story shows how life responds to environmental and social challenges while seeking new possibilities for coexistence. Echoing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), this program invites audiences to reconsider habitat not only as a physical place, but also as an ecological, cultural, and emotional home—and to imagine a more diverse, inclusive, and sustainable future. The online screenings held in collaboration with the New Taipei City Documentary Film Awards concluded successfully on October 11. Some films have been taken offline as scheduled. We invite you to continue enjoying the other outstanding films available on the platform!
“Lu-se” (魯蛇, Taiwanese internet slang borrowed from the English word “loser”) seems to have become a dead word. You rarely hear anyone say it anymore, and I’m not sure why. I don’t think the term can be understood simply as the English “loser.” In the way it’s used in Taiwan, it seems to carry a touch of self-deprecating humor, and that’s a quality I really love. The films above are the ones that, to me, have that feeling.