Film

Latest

Emotionally Gripping, if Didactic: A Review of Revolution of Our Times

·March 1, 2022·3 min read

Revolution of Our Times is not a particularly artful film, if it is often a moving one. And it is one that is highly successful on these merits. The Hong Kong protest documentary by Kiwi Chow made its debut at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival through a secretly arranged screening and started a theatrical run in Taiwan on February 25th, having won Best Documentary at the Golden Horse Film Festival Read More

Youth Tumult in Hong Kong

English Film

·February 24, 2022·2 min read

“Lost Pearl” aims to discuss Hong Kong’s contemporary political issues with a story that is set during the same time at the 2019 protests, but avoids explicitly engaging with sensitive issues. The results are mixed Read More

A Mysterious Though Evocative Short Film

English Film

·February 22, 2022·1 min read

“Sonata for Smoke” stands out for its mastery of the technical aspects of filmmaking, playing with viewers’ expectations through its proficiency. The film begins with what appears to be a burning object, along with a blunt instrument that is eventually revealed to be a microphone. They are left to wonder what they are seeing for several moments, before the camera pulls back Read More

The Ten Best Taiwanese Movies of 2021

English Film

·December 21, 2021·9 min read

Discover the top Taiwanese movies of 2021 across genres like horror, romance, LGBTQ, comedy, documentary, and more—streaming links included Read More

Film Preservation as a Struggle Against Inevitability

English Film

·December 14, 2021·3 min read

Archiving Time, an hour-long documentary on Taiwanese film preservation currently available on Taiwan+, is a well-executed take on what could be a rather cut-and-dry subject. Namely, the film proves an argument for the importance of film preservation, as well as a documentary film that details the process Read More

Film Shorts at the Golden Horse Film Festival

English Film

·December 7, 2021·6 min read

The following film shorts were shown at this year's Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei Read More

Animated Shorts at the Golden Horse Film Festival

English Film

·December 3, 2021·5 min read

The following animated shorts were shown at this year's Golden Horse Film Festival in Taipei Read More

Even Death Is No Escape From Capitalism

English Film

·November 30, 2021·3 min read

Fruit Chan's Coffin Homes (鬼同你住) is unlikely to find success on the international film festival circuit. For one, the film is likely to be billed as a comedy horror, though it is more accurate to locate the film in the mo lei tau style of Hong Kong slapstick Read More

Gold Leaf Succeeds Where SEQALU and Island Nation Did Not

English Film

·November 23, 2021·4 min read

Despite no international marketing blitz comparable to Island Nation or SEQALU, Gold Leaf proves the same kind of work, in seeking to dramatize a pivotal period of Taiwanese history. Based on the memoirs of Jiang A-hsin, the founder of the Yong-guang Tea Company, Gold Leaf focuses on the Zhang family, a prominent Hakka family of tea manufacturers in Hsinchu in the 1950s. The Jiang family was once Taiwan’s largest exporter of tea Read More

A Romanticization of Taiwanese Gangster Life

English Film

·September 21, 2021·3 min read

Gatao: The Last Stray is a competent gangster film of its genre, as a prequel and the third of three films in the Gatao franchise. Of course, one would expect a romanticization of gangster life from a film of the genre and, in this respect, Gatao stays the course Read More

Island Nation 2 Encounters Same Issues as Other Recent Taiwanese Historical Television Dramas

English Film

·September 17, 2021·3 min read

Island Nation 2, the second season of 2020’s historical drama Island Nation, continues the first season’s dramatization of recent Taiwanese history. Though the season is off to a stronger start in its first two episodes than the shaky first few episodes of Island Nation, whether or not the show can find a broader audience outside of Taiwan is still up in the air Read More

The Story of a Gangster with a Heart of Gold

English Film

·September 14, 2021·3 min read

Man in Love, adapted from the 2014 South Korean film by the same name, is an impressive first outing for director Yin Chen-hao. Yin notably entered the film industry after founding a production studio in graduate school, while studying chemistry Read More