Admin, Author at No Man Is An Island

“Lisa Lu Plays Herself” Is an Uneditorialized Jumble of Interviews and Archival Footage

·August 23, 2025·2 min read

While those highly familiar with famed Chinese American actress Lisa Lu might appreciate the documentary, "Lisa Lu Plays Herself" will likely confuse more mainstream viewers Read More

Chung Mong-hong’s “The Embers” Is Convoluted and Politically Problematic

English Film

·August 16, 2025·3 min read

Following international buzz over 2019’s "A Sun", Taiwanese director Chung Mong-hung unfortunately stumbles with his 2024 film "The Embers" Read More

First Two Episodes of “Zero Day Attack” are a Mixed Bag, But Show Potential for Improvement

English Film

·August 14, 2025·3 min read

For all the enthusiasm around the release of Zero Day Attack, the first two episodes prove a mixed bag. This can be attributed to that the TV series is an anthology, with a different director for each episode. But two episodes in, Zero Day Attack has strong potential to improve–or sink into the murk Read More

Hong Kong Heist Movie “Smashing Frank” Delivers Hackneyed Take on Social Inequality

English Film

·August 10, 2025·2 min read

Hong Kong’s first crowdfunded movie “Smashing Frank” has an intriguing premise but less impressive execution Read More

Chris Horton’s “Ghost Nation” Examines Taiwan’s Neglected History

Books English

·August 9, 2025·2 min read

Chris Horton's Ghost Nation is a comprehensive take on Taiwan’s history from a pan-Green perspective. In this sense, the book can be situated alongside other histories of Taiwan published for a general audience that have been published in past years Read More

“Unexpected Courage” Melodramatically Heroicizes Childbirth

English Film

·July 26, 2025·2 min read

Amidst Taiwan’s plummeting birth rates, the movie “Unexpected Courage” offers an unabashedly melodramatic and pronatalist narrative Read More

“The Accidental Politician” Follows A Decade in the Life of a Sunflower Activist Turned Politician

English Film

·July 19, 2025·3 min read

The Accidental Politician follows ten years in the life of Sunflower activist turned politician, Liao Yu-hsien. While the documentary also depicts in parallel Kuo Lin-han or “Melon,” a fellow activist who also enters electoral politics, it still mainly focuses on Liao. The Accidental Politician joins the ranks of other documentaries that depict the life and times of Sunflower Movement activists, then, whether that be Our Youth in Taiwan or The Edge of Night Read More

“The Way We Talk” Examines Hong Kong’s Deaf Community and Culture

English Film

·July 13, 2025·3 min read

“The Way We Talk” provides a nuanced view of differences and dynamics within Hong Kong’s deaf community Read More

“Daughter’s Daughter” Tugs at Heartstrings with Mother-Daughter Dynamics

English Film

·July 8, 2025·2 min read

Starring veteran actress Sylvia Chang, “Daughter’s Daughter” tells an intergenerational female tale that gets bogged down with melodrama Read More

“A Chip Odyssey” Provides a Look at the Rise of the Semiconductor Industry in Taiwan

English Film

·June 15, 2025·2 min read

A Chip Odyssey is an effective, if somewhat unoriginal look at the foundations of the semiconductor industry in Taiwan Read More

“A Journey in Spring” is a Moving, Understated Story of Loss

English Film

·June 8, 2025·2 min read

A Journey in Spring is a moving, understated film about an elderly Taiwanese couple, Khim-Hok and Siu-Tuan. Its focus on love, mortality, and aging proves reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s Amour—but as though it details what happens after the end of the film Read More

Despite Its Promising Premise, “Tales of Taipei” Proves Uneven

English Film

·June 7, 2025·2 min read

Despite its promising premise, in depicting various contemporary vignettes of Taipei, Tales of Taipei is a letdown. This is all the more of a shame, considering the significant star power that the anthology film marshals—featuring no less than 9m88, Wu Bai, and other iconic musical talents as actors Read More