Lee gives Taiwan film trade hope
The Oscar nominations and box office success for “Brokeback Mountain” are fueling hopes in director Ang Lee’s native Taiwan that the country’s ailing movie industry can be revived.
Last year, Taiwan films accounted for only 10% of the 400-plus movies shown on the island and only 1.59% of ticket sales. But Lee’s cowboy romance, nominated for best movie and seven other Academy Awards, has grossed $1 million in ticket sales in Taiwan, inspiring young filmmakers.
“Ang Lee’s success shows it is not impossible to strike a balance between art and box office,” said 38-year-old director Lin Chien-ping, who took a trophy for his short film “Small Station” at the Venice International Film Festival in 2005.
“I am very glad Ang Lee is so successful that I can use him as an excuse whenever my mom tells me to find a real job,” said Robin Lee, a 33-year-old with a master’s in biology who prefers to make movies.
Only good movies
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