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

·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

“And Miles to Go Before I Sleep” is a Powerful Document of Police Brutality Against Migrants

English Film

·October 16, 2023·4 min read

by Brian Hioe 語言: English Photo credit: Film Poster AND MILES TO GO BEFORE I SLEEP proves a powerful document... Read More

Koreeda’s “Monster” Proves a Humanistic Take on Childhood

English Film

·October 10, 2023·2 min read

Monster, Hirokazu Koreeda's latest, is the latest of the esteemed Japanese director’s humanistic takes on family. This time around, however, Koreeda zooms in on the issue of childhood bullying Read More

“Seven Days in Heaven” Blends Youthful and Flippant Rebellion With Distinct Taiwanese Flavor

English Film

·October 5, 2023·3 min read

2010 tragicomedy "Seven Days in Heaven" explores a working-class family’s mourning rites amidst a southern Taiwanese backdrop Read More

Recently Restored “Teenage Fugitive” Peeks Back at Tsai Ming-liang’s Earlier Output

English Film

·October 1, 2023·2 min read

The 1984 Taiwan New Wave film "Teenage Fugitive" was recently restored—and it highlights the earlier style of a young Tsai Ming-liang, who co-wrote its script Read More

“She’s Talking in Island” Depicts A Roving Dialog Between Taiwan’s Sunflower Generation and Gen Z

English Film

·September 24, 2023·3 min read

Set mostly in a car driving through Taipei, "She's Talking in Island" pairs a Millennial documentary filmmaker with a Gen Z high school student on a reflection of life and society 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

“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

“Life of Mariko in Kabukicho” Provides a Surreally Entertaining if Fleeting Glimpse of Tokyo’s District

English Film

·September 5, 2023·3 min read

With elements drawn from familiar manga and anime, “Life of Mariko in Kabukicho” offers quick tastes of its eponymous lead character and famous Tokyo nightlife district Read More

“Dauren’s Wedding” Revels in Bigotry about Korean Kazakhs

English Film

·September 1, 2023·3 min read

With bigoted depictions of Kazakhs and an uninspiring plot, “Dauren’s Wedding” spoils its chance to elucidate an otherwise intriguing premise Read More

Japanese Indie Film “Amiko” Depicts the Inner Life of a Quirky Child

English Film

·August 25, 2023·2 min read

First-time director Yusuke Morii’s “Amiko” offers a narrowly focused but inspired look at a child’s life through its titular character Read More

“Life of a Mountain Road Monkey” Phenomenon Reflects Social Inequality

English Film Life

·August 19, 2023·3 min read

A YouTube animation, “Life of a Mountain Road Monkey”, has become a sudden overnight hit in Taiwan. At time of writing, the animation has to close four million views–a figure suggesting that one in six Taiwanese has seen the video Read More