Ang Lee awarded Légion d’honneur

Ang Lee has received a Légion d’honneur, France's highest order of merit, for his global contributions to culture.

The Tawainese-American filmmaker accepted the prestigious prize at a private ceremony in Taipei on Wednesday, where the French Ambassador to Taiwan presented him with the award.

“This order is the highest civil and military order of the French republic and is awarded not only for artists but for people who have made significant achievements in many different fields," said David Kibler, Head of Cultural Affairs at the French Office in Taipei, in a statement reported by Deadline.

"In the case of Mr. Ang Lee we are talking about his global contribution to the world of culture. The decoration has been awarded by our former President along with the diploma that comes with it,“ he went on.

Lee's directorial efforts include 2000's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2005's Brokeback Mountain, and 2012's Life of Pi, all of which went on to claim Academy Awards, with Crouching Tiger winning Best Foreign Language Film and Brokeback Mountain and Life of Pi earning Best Director.

Lee is not the first director to be acknowledged by France with the gong: Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese, Barbra Streisand, and Clint Eastwood have also received the order of merit.