'The Falls' wins big at Taiwan's Golden Horse Awards

《瀑布》獲台灣金馬獎

'The Falls' takes Best Leading Actress and Best Original Screenplay, among other awards


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Major winners of the 58th Golden Horse Awards shared their inspiration and behind-the-scene stories at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall ceremony in Taipei on Saturday (Nov. 27).

Best Original Screenplay winner, Chung Mong-hong (鍾孟宏), said "The Falls" was the most difficult screenplay he had ever written. It was inspired by a friend who took care of her dying daughter.

Chung originally had no intention of making such a film but was inspired to change his mind. In the movie, he reversed his friend’s account of the mother-daughter relationship and gave it a new dimension.

Taiwan’s well regarded Alyssa Chia (賈靜雯) was nominated for the first time and took the Best Leading Actress award for her performance in “The Falls.” She said her passion for making movies had not changed in the three decades she has been in the entertainment industry because “I love acting and my life.”

To prepare for her part, Chia spent time in a psychiatric hospital. “The patients are trying really hard to get better, so it would be good if we could have more empathy.”

“The Falls” also nailed the Best Original Film Score award, with songwriter Lu Luming (盧律銘) sharing that his friend kept his distance from his mother for years because of her schizophrenia. However, he said, she decided to take care of her mother after watching “The Falls.”

Chang Chen (張震) lost 12 kilograms for his role in the thriller “The Soul” and received the Best Leading Actor award. He thanked his family for their support and mentor Edward Yang (楊德昌) for inviting him to take part in “A Brighter Summer Day” (牯嶺街少年殺人事件) when he was 13 years old.

The new drama king said that he now looks at life and death differently, after relating to his role as an unwell prosecutor in “The Soul.” He finished by saying that “love is universal.”

Liu Kuan-ting (劉冠廷) took home the Best Supporting Actor award for the action-comedy “Treat or Trick.” The star was nervous on stage, saying he felt unworthy of the award but was nevertheless glad he had pleased his fans in the role.

The 15-year-old Caitlin Fang (方郁婷) won Best New Performer with a soulful performance in “American Girl.” She said the prize proved that her acting classes and horse-riding lessons for the film had paid off.

Best New Director Roan Feng-i (阮鳳儀) worked on the film for three years. She said the secret to making a personal film is to distance oneself from those feelings.

“I put the needs of others before myself and stopped being selfish. There is a range of personalities in the film, and I am sure the audience can find a part of themselves in the movie,” said Roan.

This year marks director Ang Lee’s (李安) last time as chairman of the Golden Horse Awards. He has passed on the honor to Lee Ping-Bing (李屏賓), a veteran cinematographer.