SYNOPSIS:
Living follows a man who is transformed by those who live on in spite of hardships, while Port of Lies tackles issues such as the death penalty

• Staff Writer, with CNA

The drama series Living (有生之年) and Port of Lies (八尺門的辯護人) were the biggest winners in the 59th Golden Bell Awards on Saturday, with six awards each.

Living won awards for best television series, and best leading actor, best leading actress, best directing, best supporting actor and best newcomer in a television series.

The show follows the story of Kao Chia-yueh (高嘉岳), a loser in love and work who contemplates suicide. After returning to his home for the first time in many years to pay his family members one last visit, he witnesses their will to live in spite of life’s harsh realities, which transforms Kao into a different person.

Photo: CNA

The plot was based on the experience of one of the directors, Hsu Chao-jen (許肇任), as he was growing up in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華), which accentuated the unique human touch of family, said another of the series’ directors, Lin Chih-ju (林志儒).

The best leading actor award went to Wu Kang-ren (吳慷仁), who did not attend the award ceremony.

In Wu’s prepared acceptance speech, read by Hsu, the actor thanked the director, with whom he has collaborated with three times, for his talent and for allowing him to understand what it means to be “living” while shooting the series.

Meanwhile, veteran actress Yang Kuei-mei (楊貴媚) won her third Golden Bell Award after being named best leading actress for her role in the series. Yang thanked the cast and crew of the show, especially the actors and actresses who portrayed her family members.

Port of Lies won awards for best miniseries, best writing for a miniseries or television film, best leading actor in a miniseries or television film, and best score, best sound design and the creative award for a drama series.

The show tackled thorny social issues, including the death penalty, and the exploitation of and discrimination against indigenous peoples and migrant workers.

It revolves around a young Indonesian migrant fisherman who murdered his captain, an indigenous Taiwanese. An indigenous court-appointed attorney, an Indonesian woman and the son of a judge worked tirelessly to overturn the death sentence for the murder.

It showed that “what is important about a successful drama series is not the budget, cast or [intellectual property] IP. What is important is a story that responds to this era and the way you tell the story,” said the miniseries’ director, attorney-turned-filmmaker Freddy Tang (唐福睿).

Tang, who wrote the novel from which the series was adapted, was also honored for best writing for a miniseries or television film.

The series was presented by Chunghwa Telecom and IP licensing company Mirror Fiction Inc. In 2021, it received NT$20 million (US$623,383) in funding from the Ministry of Culture after it was named by Mirror Fiction as the best novel for adaptation into film or television.

The Golden Bell Awards, known as Taiwan’s Emmys, was turned into a two-night event in 2022 to keep it from running too long, with the first day dedicated to TV variety shows and the second day to drama series.