The Herzliya Cinematheque is one of three venues hosting Taiwan Film Week (שבוע קולנוע תוצרת טאיוואן), screening five Taiwanese films from 18 to 24 June 2026. It is the Herzliya leg of a nationwide programme that also runs at the Jerusalem Cinematheque and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.
Festive opening — 18 June#
Unlike the other two venues, Herzliya opens the week with the festival’s flagship film, Left-Handed Girl (dir. Shih-Ching Tsou, 2025, 108 min). The opening evening is held in the presence of officials from Taiwan’s representative office in Israel, with light refreshments and a Hebrew-language lecture by Dr. Adiel Portugali — a scholar of contemporary Chinese culture, society and music at Tel Aviv University — on family, beliefs and customs in Taiwan, “the beautiful island.”
Left-Handed Girl follows Shu-Fen, a single mother who returns to Taipei with her two daughters and opens a noodle stall in a bustling night market, in a tender study of mother–daughter relationships. The film was Taiwan’s entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards (2026) and reached the Oscar shortlist. Screened in Mandarin with Hebrew and English subtitles.
The Herzliya programme#
- Left-Handed Girl (dir. Shih-Ching Tsou) — Thursday 18 June (festive opening)
- Kung Fu (dir. Giddens Ko) — Friday 19 June. Two hapless teenagers learn to unlock their “superpowers” from an unlikely homeless master — a high-energy, genre-hopping comedy.
- Crown Shyness (Distant Relatives, dir. Chang Chun-yu) — Saturday 20 June. Three generations gather when a mother returns to Taiwan after a cancer diagnosis, with an LGBTQ+ thread.
- A Touch of Zen (dir. King Hu, 1971) — Tuesday 23 June. King Hu’s landmark wuxia (martial-arts) masterpiece.
- Poetries From the Bookstores: Somewhere I Belong (dir. Hou Chi-jan) — Wednesday 24 June. A documentary on Taiwan’s independent bookstores as community gathering places.
All films are screened in the original language with subtitles. Exact screening times and booking are on the cinematheque’s festival page.
A first for Taiwan–Israel cultural ties#
Taiwan Film Week marks the first partnership between the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Tel Aviv and Israeli cinematheques, and launches the “Spotlight Taiwan Project 2026”, sponsored by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture to support institutions jointly promoting Taiwanese culture in Israel.
Also screening across Israel#
- Jerusalem Cinematheque — 18–24 June 2026, six films, closing with Left-Handed Girl.
- Tel Aviv Cinematheque — 18–21 June 2026, five films including Silent Sparks.
Practical information#
- What: Taiwan Film Week — five Taiwanese films
- When: 18–24 June 2026 (opening 18 June)
- Where: Herzliya Cinematheque, Herzliya Municipality building, 22 Ben-Gurion Street, Herzliya
- Tickets: Cinematheque ticket prices; book per screening via the festival page
- Phone: 09-956-5008
