Admin, Author at No Man Is An Island

Kaori Lai’s “Portraits in White” Captures Individuals Cast Adrift by the White Terror

·October 4, 2025·2 min read

Kaori Lai's Portraits in White is a skillful literary examination of individuals caught in the larger tides of Taiwanese history. Though not of the generation that directly experienced much of this history, but of the generation that came immediately after, Lai’s work proves a deft exploration of the subjectivities of those who lived through the White Terror Read More

“Dear Stranger” Gets Lost In Translation

English Film

·September 28, 2025·4 min read

Starring Hidetoshi Nishijima (of “Drive My Car”) and Gwei Lun-mei, the Japan-produced but English-language “Dear Stranger” stumbles with a choppy script Read More

以影像揭示時代的真實：「史泰德與法蘭克：攝影書與藝術民主化」展覽評介

Art Chinese Events

·September 23, 2025·1 min read

《史泰德與法蘭克：攝影書與藝術民主化》對台灣的攝影愛好者而言，是個難得的機會，可以親眼目睹攝影史上極為傑出的藝術家羅伯特·法蘭克（Robert Frank），與當代最精湛、最有成就的膠印師與攝影書出版商格哈德·史泰德（Gerhard Steidl）之間的合作。 Read More

“My Sunshine” Pairs Superb Acting and Skilled Storytelling in Figure Skating Character Drama

English Film

·September 21, 2025·2 min read

The sophomore effort of director Hiroshi Okuyama, "My Sunshine" proves a noteworthy entry in contemporary Japanese cinema, and puts Okuyama on the map Read More

“Pigsy” is a Fun, Animated Take on “Journey to the West”

English Film

·September 16, 2025·2 min read

Pigsy is an inventive, CGI-animated take on Journey to the West. The movie is set in a futuristic city-state in which a technologically advanced “New World” development scheme is soon to be launched, and which selects those who contribute the most to society to become its residents. Protagonist Pigsy works for the developer of the “New World” but is not selected himself Read More

Review: Robert Frank and Gerhard Steidl: Photobooks at Democratic Art Objects

Art English Events

·September 14, 2025·9 min read

Robert Frank and Gerhard Steidl: Photobooks at Democratic Art Objects is a rare opportunity for photography fans in Taiwan to see the collaboration between Robert Frank, one of the finest artists the medium of photography has produced, and Gerhard Steidl, the most masterful and accomplished offset printer and photobook publisher of our time Read More

“Endangered Youth” is a Look at Young Activists in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Ukraine

Books English

·September 8, 2025·1 min read

CJ Anderson-Wu's Endangered Youth is best read as an ensemble work, comprising a series of vignettes and micro-fiction about young activists in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Ukraine. The book draws heavily from reality, referencing a number of real-world figures with slight alterations to their names. This is also true of many historical events referenced in the book Read More

“Strangers and Their Babies” is a Look at the Forgotten Lives of Vietnamese Refugees in Penghu

English Film

·September 7, 2025·2 min read

The PTS documentary Strangers and Their Babies is director Asio Liu’s latest look at unexplored periods in Taiwan’s history that link it to Southeast Asia Read More

Syaman Rapongan’s “Eyes of the Ocean” Proves Rare Example of Taiwanese Indigenous Literature in English

Books English

·August 29, 2025·2 min read

Syaman Rapongan's Eyes of the Ocean proves a rare opportunity to glimpse the accomplished Taiwanese Indigenous writer’s work in English. In this sense, Eyes of the Ocean is one of the rare works of Taiwanese Indigenous literature translated into English to date Read More

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

English Film

·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