"Culture has a profound power to penetrate hearts because it can directly touch the depths of the human spirit, transcending borders, ethnicity, gender and generations to bring masterpieces of the past, present and future for the world to see," Premier Jiang Yi-huah said today at the 32nd National Cultural Award ceremony in Taipei. The premier presented this year's award on behalf of the government and people of Taiwan to composer Lee Tai-hsiang and director Hou Hsiao-hsien.
Since the National Cultural Award was established by the Executive Yuan in 1980, a total of 68 artists have been honored in fields such as education, literature, cinematics, art and dance. Over time, however, culture has expanded to include non-traditional areas such as broadcasting, television, film and digital media, said the premier.
The National Cultural Award is intended to not only recognize those who have made lifelong contributions to Taiwan's culture and arts, but also encourage the later generations to devote themselves to the enrichment and diversification of Taiwanese culture, Jiang added.
Referring to Culture Minister Lung Ying-tai's remarks that the collective works of the two award winners represent a microcosm of the nation's past, Premier Jiang added that the works also portray the lives of individual people.
A filmmaker of more than 40 years, Hou Hsiao-hsien is best known for his work, A City of Sadness, and over the years has garnered numerous awards at the Venice Film Festival and the Cannes Film Festival. Jiang said after watching Hou's A Time to Live, A Time to Die, he was able to identify more with the countless Taiwanese and mainlanders of past generations and see their legacy in himself and his children. Hou's works not only carry a historical depth but also delve into the meaning of life. Films like this can have a greater human impact than many Western mainstream films, Jiang said.
The other award winner, Lee Tai-hsiang, is the composer of the popular classic, "The Olive Tree." Jiang also recalled that he often listened to Lee's "Chinese Symphonic Century" CD compilation while studying in Britain and the U.S. in 2000 and 2001. For Jiang and his family, the CDs brought a taste of a home with sounds of Taiwanese folk songs, pop music, Chinese art songs and Western music. Lee's beautiful compositions have created fond memories for many generations, the premier said.
The Ministry of Culture said that Hou and Lee are both household names. Lee's compositions are well-known throughout the Chinese-speaking world; his artistry has elevated the standard for popular music and nurtured generations of songwriters. Hou too has established a benchmark for Chinese-speaking films, building a unique brand of aesthetics for Taiwanese cinema.