Oscar-winning director to visit Phl

MANILA, Philippines - The director of acclaimed Hollywood hits such as the 2005 Oscar Best Picture “Brokeback Mountain” will be in Manila for the first time from Nov. 27 to 29 for a tribute organized by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO).

Ang Lee was born in 1954 in the agricultural county of Pingtung in Taiwan. He moved to the United States in 1979 where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in theater from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In 2000, Lee’s “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” bagged the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. He won the Academy Award for Best Director for “Brokeback Mountain “ and then for last year’s “Life of Pi” – becoming the first person of Asian descent to win the honor.

“Brokeback” won a total of 71 awards from various film organizations and movie critics around the world.

TECO Manila is staging “A Salute to Ang Lee” on Nov. 27.