(Taipei) Actress Hu Ling on Saturday became the first Chinese film star to walk the red carpet at Taiwan’s Golden Horse Awards since 2019, the year China boycotted the biggest awards ceremony of the island after political tensions.
Chinese director Huang Ji also attended the ceremony with her Japanese husband Ryuji Otsuka, and the couple won the coveted Best Feature Film award for the social drama Stonewalling which they made together.
“After winning the Golden Horse Awards, we can go to a wilder world and gallop. I am especially grateful to the Golden Horse,” Huang told the crowd.
Beijing banned its artists from participating in the Golden Horse, nicknamed the Oscars in Chinese, after a Taiwanese director expressed support for the island’s independence in a 2018 acceptance speech.
China, which sees Taiwan as an integral part of its territory, has vowed to one day bring the island back into its fold, using force if necessary.
On Saturday, the red carpet welcomed Ms. Hu, selected as best actress for her role in Carp Leaping Over Dragon’s Gate. Dressed in a shimmering dress and holding a pineapple in her hands, she was accompanied by Chinese director Yan Xiaolin and some actors from the film.
“The (Chinese) name of our film is ‘Pineapple,’ and Taiwanese audiences told me that pineapple means good luck in Taiwanese culture,” Ms. Hu said.
Hu nonetheless lost to 12-year-old Audrey Lin (Trouble Girl), the night’s biggest unknown, who became the youngest winner in Golden Horse history to receive the best actress award.
Taiwan’s Hsiao Ya-chuan won best director for his family drama Old Fox, while compatriot Wu Kang-ren won best actor for his role as a mute man in Malaysian film Abang Adik.
The prize for best documentary in short film format went to The Memo, a video diary about the pandemic made by a couple of filmmakers trapped in a small apartment in Shanghai.
The presence of players from mainland China marked a turning point compared to previous years. In 2022, Chinese star Cya Liu, selected as best actress for the Hong Kong crime film Limbo, did not attend the ceremony, without giving reasons.
But last year, Chinese director Huang Shuli nevertheless received the prize for best short documentary in person, a rare appearance by a filmmaker from mainland China since the crisis.
