The Jerusalem Cinematheque is hosting Taiwan Film Week from 18 to 24 June 2026, with six Taiwanese films spanning classic masterpieces and contemporary dramas. It is the Jerusalem leg of a nationwide programme that also runs at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the Herzliya Cinematheque.
The programme#
All screenings are in the original language with subtitles. The selection spans generations of Taiwanese filmmaking and themes — family and intergenerational drama, LGBTQ+ stories, and the fantasy world of wuxia (martial arts):
- A Touch of Zen, dir. King Hu, 1971, 200 min — Thursday 18 June, 20:00 (Cinematheque 1). King Hu’s wuxia masterpiece, a defining work of the genre, in which a small-town calligrapher is drawn into protecting a fugitive noblewoman.
- Silent Sparks, dir. Ping Chu, 2024, 78 min — Saturday 20 June, 20:00 (Cinematheque 2). Fresh out of prison, Pua wants most of all to reunite with his former cellmate Mi-Ji — a debut feature blending gangster cinema with queer romance.
- Kung Fu, dir. Giddens Ko, 2026, 127 min — Sunday 21 June, 20:15 (Cinematheque 3). Two hapless teenagers learn to unlock their “superpowers” from an unlikely homeless master, in a high-energy, genre-hopping comedy.
- Crown Shyness (Distant Relatives), dir. Chang Chun-yu, 2025, 80 min — Monday 22 June, 18:00 (Cinematheque 1). When a mother returns to Taiwan after a cancer diagnosis, three generations gather, old tensions and fragile truths surfacing, in a tender family drama with an LGBTQ+ thread.
- Poetries From the Bookstores: Somewhere I Belong, dir. Hou Chi-jan, 2025, 90 min — Tuesday 23 June, 18:00 (Cinematheque 2). A documentary journey through Taiwan’s independent bookstores and their bonds with local communities.
- Left-Handed Girl, dir. Shih-Ching Tsou, 2025, 108 min — Wednesday 24 June, 18:00 (Cinematheque 3). The closing film, a multi-award winner and Taiwan’s entry for Best International Feature at the 98th Academy Awards (2026).
A first for Taiwan–Israel cultural ties#
This year’s 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.
The closing event on Wednesday, 24 June (18:00) will be held in the presence of Ms. Abby Ya-Ping Lee, Representative of Taiwan in Israel, with an opening lecture in Hebrew by Dr. Adiel Portugali on family, beliefs and customs in Taiwan.
Also screening across Israel#
- Tel Aviv Cinematheque — 18–21 June 2026, five films.
- Herzliya Cinematheque — 18–24 June 2026, opening with Left-Handed Girl.
Practical information#
- What: Taiwan Film Week — six Taiwanese films
- When: 18–24 June 2026
- Where: Jerusalem Cinematheque, 11 Hebron Road, Jerusalem
- Tickets: Cinematheque ticket prices; book per screening via the festival page
- Phone: 02-565-4333
Films are screened in their original languages with subtitles; the closing lecture is in Hebrew. Confirm individual screening times and prices on the cinematheque’s site before booking.
