TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Taiwan Documentary Film Festival in Thailand runs from Wednesday to Sunday in Bangkok and features 12 movies that show Taiwan’s society and cultural roots.

CNA reported Thursday that the festival is backed by Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and Thai partners. Now in its eighth year, it aims to bring people in Thailand and Taiwan closer through movies.

Movies help people learn about each other’s stories, Taiwan’s representative to Thailand Peter Lan (藍夏禮) said. Lan noted that this year’s lineup includes “The Story of a Small Town,” which features a theme song by Teresa Teng (鄧麗君) that many Thai viewers grew up with.

Curator Wiwat Lertwiwatwongsa said he picked newer documentaries because they link well with past works and spark discussions across genres. He said he sees movies as a way to find shared ideas in diverse societies.

The opening film was Edward Yang’s (楊德昌) restored classic “Taipei Story,” which drew many Thai directors and fans. Thai filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke said he came to watch the high-resolution version after first seeing a poor copy years ago.

Wanlop Rungkumjad, a Thai actor nominated for Golden Horse Awards last year, also showed up at the festival. Rungkumjad told CNA he has been drawn to Taiwan’s movies since college.

This year’s festival will also screen classics by Lee Hsing (李行) and Tsai Ming-liang (蔡明亮). Organizers said their movies look at human ties with simple but sharp storytelling.

The documentary lineup covers issues from family and faith to migrant labor and gender. Curators said the films give viewers a clear look at daily life in Taiwan’s many communities.