a SHORT report : Taiwan @ Clermont-Ferrand
In early 2023, Taiwan was the guest of honor of the 45th edition of the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. TaiwanPlus invited French artist Yannick Dauby to capture the festival's atmosphere through audio and photographic recordings. Here are the artist's reflections on his work: "2020. I am contacted by Calmin Borel about a special event during the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival. Preparing a country focus on Taiwan, I am invited to create some listening experiences to be played as introductions during the four programs of Taiwanese short film. Then, Covid-19... February 2023: here I am in Auvergne, in the tectonic city of Clermont-Ferrand, impressed by the giant scale of this short film festival, with its incredible audience and diversity of propositions. As a sound recordist, I am invited to share about soundscapes, ecology and communities of Taiwan, and I have a chance to meet some directors and their associates. The interviews I conducted with them are mostly retracing Taiwan's presence, but running from one location to another, I quickly gathered some sounds from the streets, giving a glimpse on the mood of French people at that moment. Unfortunately, a few days ago, the notorious right-wing leader of the region council decided to ignore the great value of this festival and unwisely decided to cut its funding by more than 50%. My subjective and non-journalistic report is therefore dedicated to those people who worked hard to make cinéma a living thing in Clermont-Ferrand. It is based on audio and the images are just here to grab your attention, so please open your ears. Y.D. 17.05.2023"
