Three Taiwanese co-productions will be screened at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival in February.
Two films will be screened as part of the main competition. The first is “Black Tea" by Abderrahmane Sissako, in his long-awaited followup to 2014’s “Timbuktu.” It tells the story of a woman from the Ivory Coast who moves to Guangzhou, China to start a new life working at a tea boutique. The film received funding from Taiwan's International Co-funding Program (TICP), and is a co-production with France, Mauritania, Luxembourg, and the Ivory Coast. Although the film takes place in China, many of the locations were shot in Taiwan.
Also in the main competition is "Shambhala" by Nepalese filmmaker Min Bahadur Bham. Set in a fictional Himalayan location, it is a major multi-national with co-production from Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong. China, Turkey, Taiwan, USA, and Qatar. Some of the film’s post-production, such as editing, was completed in Taiwan.
An entry into the “Encounters” category is “Sleep With Your Eyes Open” from German Filmmaker Nele Wohlatz. Set in Brazil, it tells the story of a Taiwanese traveler and the bonds he makes with an umbrella store owner and a woman who previously lived in the same town. The film is a co-production of companies from Argentina, Brazil, Germany, and Taiwan, and much of the post-production was completed in Taiwan. It features Taiwan-based actor Wang Shin-hong (王興洪).