10 Conditions of Love Director & Producer Open Letter to Chen Chu

From the producer and director of 10 Conditions of Love

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給高雄市陳菊市長的公開信
OPEN LETTER TO MAYOR CHEN CHU,
KAOHSIUNG CITY HALL

親愛的陳菊市長，
Dear Mayor Chen Chu,

身為《愛的十個條件》的製片與導演，對於您堅持本片在高雄電影節如期播映的勇氣感到敬佩，同時也對高雄市政府協助影片後續加映事宜表達我們的誠摯感謝。身為電影創作者，我們感到相當幸福。

As the producer and director of “The 10 Conditions of Love”, we thank you sincerely for the courageous and principled decision of the Kaohsiung City government to permit further screenings of our documentary at the Kaohsiung Film Festival (KIFF), in addition to the screenings last week. As filmmakers, we are doubly blessed.

我們希望其他加映場次能跟高雄電影節原先規劃的初衷一致，同時也讓那些曾經對您長期為民主、人權奮鬥打拼的堅定立場有過一絲懷疑的人，無論在台灣、在亞洲，還是圖博、新疆，甚或全世界，皆能重拾信心。

We hope these additional screenings, forming as they do the original intention of the KFF, will reassure those who may have wavered in their faith in your long-standing struggle and adherence to the struggle for democracy and human rights in Taiwan and Asia, in particular in Tibet and Xinjiang, and in the world generally.

我們相當感激您為高雄電影節播映《愛》片一事所承受來自中國的強大壓力。

We appreciate the immense pressure brought to bear on your administration by the PRC over the programming of the documentary in the Kaohsiung Film Festival (KFF).

我們相信，您對《愛》在影展期間如期播映的堅守立場，必然會受到全世界輿論與電影愛好者的支持，同時更提升了高雄電影節的格局，因其無懼各種壓力、永遠捍衛影展完整性而在國際間聲名遠播。

We believe the symbolism of your decision to permit further screenings will be welcomed and acclaimed by commentators and film-goers around the globe and will permanently establish Kaohsiung as one of the region’s most important and serious film festivals with an international reputation for integrity under pressure.

高雄電影節在規劃全台一連串《愛的十個條件》放映活動之後，也將在台灣建立一個領導文化的地位。我們知道目前許多個人或是團體宣稱有意接洽此片公開播映權，在此我們公開宣佈，委託高雄電影節全權處理所有在台放映事宜。

Kaohsiung Film Festival will further establish its position as a leading cultural force in Taiwan by its plan to organise advance screenings of “The 10 Conditions of Love” throughout Taiwan. We have had numerous approaches by some parties in Taiwan claiming to have acquired rights to screenings, but we wish to confirm that only Kaohsiung Film Festival can authorize screenings.

高雄市政府與高雄電影節已經相當努力排除任何政治力干預而達到現在這個目標，我們希望任何想要播映此片的個人或團體能先跟高雄電影節聯繫，不僅是真正經過授權，更因為法治是保障人權的第一步。

Kaohsiung City government and KFF have worked hard under great political duress to achieve this outcome. We hope organizations who wish to screen the film will contact KFF. It is important that these screenings are conducted legally because the rule of law is the first step towards the guarantee of human rights.

中國持續強力干預民主國家個人觀賞影片的自由，然而幾個月前中國對於澳大利亞與紐西蘭所施行的抵制行動，最後都以失敗告終。

China must be resisted powerfully in its attempt to tell democracies what they may or may not see. It has attempted in past months to do this in Australia and again in New Zealand. In each case, its efforts were rebuffed firmly.

不論是圖博、維吾爾族或熱比婭‧卡德爾事件，對中國妥協絕對無法解決問題。

Compromise does not work with the Chinese in the matter of the Uyghurs and Rebiya Kadeer. Nor with Tibet.

請讓我們引用Taiwan News的社論其中的一句話，「言論自由絕對不能退讓。─不論在台灣，或任何一個地方。」

We refer to a recent editorial in Taiwan News this week which said that there can be no retreat on free speech. - not in Taiwan, not anywhere.

最後，我們要再次表達您在這次行動表現上的敬佩與感激之意。

Once again, we express our gratitude and admiration for your actions in this matter.

John Lewis Jeff Daniels
Producer製片 Director導演

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