Taipei: Taipei has been selected as the thematic destination of the 15th edition of the annual "L'Heure d'€š¬…¡¬°t©" film festival, which runs from June 30 to Aug. 11 in Brussels, Belgium. Festival co-curator Levon Kirakosian announced that Taiwan will be the featured country for the 2026 edition, with Tsai Ming-liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" chosen as the opening film.

According to Focus Taiwan, the selection of Taiwanese cinema marks a significant focus on Asian films, a theme that the festival has embraced through past features on cities like Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. Kirakosian explained that Taiwanese films have never been showcased at the festival, making this year's selection particularly significant. The choice is also influenced by increasing geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan, with the festival aiming to highlight Taiwan's culture and cinematic history.

The festival worked closely with Berlin Taiwan Film Festival curators Benson Chiu and Wu Ho-ping to curate the lineup of Taiwanese films. The main lineup features works from renowned Taiwanese directors Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, and Lee Ang, alongside Tsai Ming-liang. Additionally, animated films "On Happiness Road" and "Grandma and Her Ghosts", as well as Tsou Shih-ching's "Left-Handed Girl", will also be screened, showcasing the diversity of Taiwanese film productions.

"Left-Handed Girl" will be specially screened outdoors during the summer festival. Following the conclusion of "L'Heure d'€š¬…¡¬°t©" on August 11, Cinema Galeries will host a retrospective festival focusing on the works of Edward Yang in mid-August. This retrospective is expected to feature Yang's notable films, including "A Brighter Summer Day", "Taipei Story", and "Yi Yi".