Department of Cultural Affairs

Taipei City Government announced last Saturday that a film festival that features 10 flicks adapted from literature will kick off on April 23, the World Book and Copyright Day.

The film festival is part of the activities of the 12th Taipei Literature Festival. The 10 films, all adaptations from popular novels or classic literature, will be screened at the Spot-Taipei Film House from April 23 to April 25, free of charge.

The 10 films are “The Girl with Dragon Tattoo” adapted from Swedish journalist and novelist Stieg Larsson’s “The Millennium-trilogy,” “Le hérisson” adapted from Muriel Barbery’s same-title bestseller, “The Nights of Dream” based on Japanese author Natsume Soseki’s same-title novel, Francoise Sagan’s biographic flick “Sagan” and “Buddenbrooks” adapted from German litterateur Thomas Mann’s first novel.

Others include “Les destinées sentimentales” based on the novel by Jacques Chardonne, “Changing Sides” adapted from popular fiction written by Alix Girod de l’Ain, French auteur Eric Rohmer’s “The Romance of Astrea and Celadon” which goes back to the 17th century literary classic “L’Astree” for inspiration and “Wedding Fever in Campobello” adapted from budding German writer Jan Weiler’s “Maria, ihm schmeck’s nicht.”

French director Stephane Brize’s “Mademoiselle Chambon,” which Brize adapted from the same-title bestseller novel “Mademoiselle Chambon” will close the three-day festival at 7:50 p.m. on Sunday.

“Literature is a very important medium and has been for some time,” Hsieh Hsiao-yun, director of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Taipei City Government, said at Saturday’s press conference. “It has always been a great source of inspiration for filmmakers. It is our first attempt in 12 years to introduce literature-inspired films to a wider audience.”

Hsieh offered two Chinese stamps as a gift for Brize, who flew from France to attend the press conference. “I am honored to have my film showing in Taiwan, never did I think this would happen when I was a child,” said Brize who adapted and directed “Mademoiselle Chambon” by himself. It is reported that Eric Holder author of “Mademoiselle Chambon” wrote an email to Brize after watching the film and praised him for the adaptation.