Central News Agency (CNA, Brussels, July 30) -- The Brussels Summer Film Festival kicked off on July 30, with director Tsai Ming-liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" as the opening film, drawing a full house. Some audience members were deeply impressed by the film's artistic techniques, while others expressed that it ignited their interest in Taiwanese cinema. This year's Brussels Summer Film Festival features Taiwan as its theme for the first time. The festival will screen 18 works, including "The Assassin," "The Grandmatron," "Girls," and "The Left-Handed Girl." The opening film, Tsai Ming-liang's "Goodbye, Dragon Inn," was shown at Cinema Galeries, located in the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert in Brussels. The cinema lobby was packed before the screening, and the theater was completely full once the film began. Ambassador to the European Union and Belgium Hsieh Dar-wei told CNA that he was delighted to see such a large turnout. He expressed hope that the 18 Taiwanese films to be screened subsequently would each attract a similar audience, sparking discussion and reflection. Levon Kirakosian, co-curator of the film festival, told CNA that "Goodbye, Dragon Inn" is one of his favorite films in this year's selection because it is a story set within a cinema, making the experience of watching it in a cinema particularly special. This year's Brussels Summer Film Festival is collaborating with the Taiwan Film Festival Berlin. Two curators from the Berlin festival, Chiu Sheng-ta and Wu Hao-ping, also attended the opening event. Chiu Sheng-ta told CNA in an interview that he was deeply moved to see the opening film's screening completely sold out. Regarding the concept behind selecting and curating the films for this year's Taiwan theme, which focuses on "Taipei," Chiu Sheng-ta explained that the works showcase Taiwan's island perspective and a sense of diaspora. For Europeans, Taipei is often the first Taiwanese city they encounter. Through these 18 films, viewers can see Taipei