Film

A to Z

“A Camp Unknown” Sheds Light on a Forgotten Period in Taiwan’s History

·March 18, 2023·3 min read

The PTS documentary "A Camp Unknown" (彼岸他方), directed by Awei Liu, proves an insightful look at a forgotten period in Taiwanese history. The documentary examines refugee camps for Chinese Vietnamese refugees that existed in Taiwan from 1977 to 1988 Read More

“Bad Education” Proves A Capable Directorial Debut for Kai Ko

English Film

·April 3, 2023·3 min read

Actor Kai Ko's directorial debut, Bad Education, is a capable film with many merits. Though still entertainment fare at the end of the day, much is to be praised about the movie, which like many hit Taiwanese movies in past years has a script penned by novelist Giddens Ko Read More

“Day Off” Depicts the Relation Between a Mother and Her Children During a Time of Transition

English Film

·March 31, 2023·3 min read

Day Off, which has won accolades for lead actress Lu Hsiao-fen, proves a heartfelt depiction of the relationship between a mother and her children during a time of transition Read More

“Dead Talents Society” is a Humorous Send-Up of Taiwanese Influencer Culture

English Film

·September 2, 2024·2 min read

Detention director John Hsu’s latest film, Dead Talents Society, is a capable and humorous if unremarkable work. Hsu’s aim seems to steer away from Detention’s serious subject matter, seeing as it is set during the White Terror, while maintaining the horror frame. But even if the film has mixed results, Hsu at least proves that he is equally adept at comedy Read More

“Dear Corky” Pays Tribute to a Beloved Photographer of Chinatown

English Film

·October 25, 2022·2 min read

“Dear Corky” is a tribute to the photographer Corky Lee, who spent decades documenting Asian American life, and died in 2021 from COVID-19. The short documentary film was assembled from footage shot of Lee before his death, though this may not have been with the aim of creating a documentary about Lee at first Read More

“Didi” is a Gentle and Heartfelt Tribute to Adolescence

English Film

·September 24, 2024·3 min read

Didi, the first feature-length film by a Taiwanese American director, Sean Wang, is a gentle and heartfelt tribute to the growing pains of adolescence Read More

“Fly in Power” Ably Documents the Work of Red Canary Song

English Film

·October 21, 2023·2 min read

Fly in Power documents the work of Red Canary Song, the coalition of Asian and Migrant sex workers and massage workers formed after the death of Yang Song during a police raid in Flushing in 2017. The documentary takes a ground-level look at not only what Red Canary Song does, but also the perspectives of members as to how they understand their work, why they joined, and their backgrounds Read More

“Gaga” Provides a Glimpse of an Indigenous Family Caught in Changing Times

English Film

·September 9, 2023·2 min read

Gaga, directed by Laha Mebow, is not a perfect work, but it manages to be a candid intergenerational family drama nonetheless Read More

“Goddamned Asura” Aims for Humanistic Social Commentary

English Film

·March 15, 2023·3 min read

Taiwanese film in the last decade seems to have been fixated on depicting random acts of violence committed by troubled youth. This is due to the impact of real-world events such as the “Little Lightbulb Murder” in 2016 and the Cheng Chieh subway stabbing in 2014–but also due to the in-depth media reporting on these incidents that followed Read More

“Hotel Saltwater” Depicts Rural Taiwan During the White Terror

English Film

·March 25, 2024·2 min read

In its first two episodes, Hotel Saltwater is a capable enough depiction of the farmers’ movement during the White Terror. In particular, Hotel Saltwater is based on the life and times of farmers’ movement activist and eventual DPP legislator Tai Chen-yao, taking its name from a biography of Tai’s early life Read More

“Life for Sale” Offers a Stylized and Complex Exploration of Mortality

English Film

·July 26, 2022·3 min read

Life for Sale is an ambitious work. While imperfect, the film is bold, and those willing to indulge some of its more visible flaws may find the journey rewarding Read More

“Light of the Setting Sun” is an Elegiac Diasporic Reflection

English Film

·April 24, 2025·2 min read

Light of the Setting Sun is a capable, elegiac work examining filmmaker Vicky Du’s family. Du focuses on the history of silences in the family, silences she ultimately traces back to the trauma of displacement after the Chinese Civil War Read More