Film

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“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

“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

“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

“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

“Marry My Dead Body” Proves A Well-Intended and Capably Shot if Problematic LGBTQ Crime Caper

English Film

·March 11, 2023·4 min read

Marry My Dead Body is an entertaining and capably executed, if a bit breezy, buddy cop comedy with LGBTQ themes. The outlandish premise–featuring a straight, initially homophobic police officer whose attitudes gradually change through interactions with a gay ghost that he becomes haunted by–certainly proves memorable Read More

“Mountain Woman” Depicts Human Cruelty and Desperation in a Japanese Village

English Film

·November 4, 2022·2 min read

With its story about an outcast family, “Mountain Woman” explores humanity’s darkness against a beautiful backdrop of Japan’s countryside Read More

“Port of Lies” Dramatizes Charged Racial Issues in Taiwanese Society

English Film

·August 13, 2023·3 min read

Though problematic in some regards, Port of Lies is an attempt to grapple with some of the pressing racial issues of Taiwanese society Read More

“Tank Fairy” Proves A Spunky Queer Take on a Fixture of Taiwanese Life

English Film

·October 28, 2022·2 min read

Tank Fairy is a spunky queer take on a traditional fixture of Taiwanese urban life–the deliveryperson, invariably middle-aged and male, that brings canisters of gas that apartments use to boil hot water for cooking and showering Read More

“The Post-Truth World” is An Imperfect, But Intriguing Read on News, Virality, and Truth

English Film

·September 16, 2023·3 min read

The Post-Truth World is an intriguing, if somewhat narratively flawed read on the nature of news, virality, and truth. The crime drama follows Liu Li-min, an online media personality, who inadvertently becomes caught up in the series of events around the apparent murder of rich heiress Wang Shih-yun by high school sports star Chang Chen-yi. Liu is first present at the baseball game where Chang apparently murders Chang by stabbing her to death. Then, seven years later, Liu is taken hostage by Chang during a jailbreak after visiting the prison where he is imprisoned to interview another inmate Read More