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A Single Photograph, An Infinitude of Moments

·June 11, 2021·3 min read

According to director Huang Pang-chuan, the motivation for shooting Last Year When the Train Passed By began with a whim—he took a photo while passing by a town on train one day and later began to wonder about the inhabitants of the houses that he had photographed Read More

A Look into the Life of a Taiwanese Leftist Revolutionary

Art English

·October 22, 2021·2 min read

The Su Beng Memorial Museum is small, occupying the two-floor apartment in Xinzhuang that Su Beng lived in at the time of his death in 2019. The museum may not offer any new insights for those familiar with Su’s life, but the history it displays is still revealing. Read More

“Dead Fishes” Depicts Generation Gaps and Poison Plots in a Tokyo Commuter Suburb

English Film

·February 25, 2024·2 min read

Japanese independent movie "Dead Fishes" offers an evocative depiction of slower-paced life in a Tokyo suburb, with a murder-related twist Read More

China Relents on Kaoliang Ban as Gesture to Kinmen

English Life

·February 8, 2023·3 min read

Following a meeting between Kinmen County magistrate Chen Fu-hai and newly appointed Taiwan Affairs Office director Sung Tao late last month, the Chinese government has relented on its import ban on Kaoliang produced by Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Incorporated Read More

Review: A First Farewell (第一次的離別)

English Film

·March 2, 2021·4 min read

A First Farewell is a remarkable film by first-time director Wang Lina. The film is shot in Wang’s hometown of Shaya, Wang being a Han director that grew up in Xinjiang Read More

Murder, Corruption, and Plagiarism: An Election Cycle Characterized by Scandal

English Life

·November 23, 2022·4 min read

The present election cycle has been, if nothing else, characterized by a great degree of political scandal. Indeed, as a consequence, many races have boiled down to the personalities running for office, rather than their policies. To this extent, both DPP and KMT have sought to leverage on the scandals of the other camp Read More

The Hotel Between Life and Death

English Film

·May 25, 2021·3 min read

Taipei Suicide Story, directed by KEFF, is a beautifully understated short film. In this respect, the film is highly atmospheric without being effusive or overdone in the slightest. The film takes place during one night at a “suicide hotel.” The hotel is one in which guests spend one night; either they decide to kill themselves at the end of that night, or they decide to give life another chance Read More

An Insightful Look at Taiwan’s Explosion of Creativity in the 1980s at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum

English Events Life

·December 31, 2022·3 min read

“The Wild Eighties: Dawn of Transdisciplinary Taiwan,” which runs from December 3rd to February 26th at the Taipei Fine Arts Museum, is a highly successful look into the artistic creativity of Taiwan’s 1980s. This was the period in which martial law was lifted in Taiwan, resulting in an unprecedented explosion of creative freedoms. Read More

“Manchurian Tiger” Paints Absurdist Picture of Working Class Life in Northern China

English Film

·August 17, 2022·3 min read

Chinese movie "Manchurian Tiger" offers a darkly comedic look at workers in China’s northeast region Read More

Is Post-Truth Discourse on the Rise from Influencers?

English Life

·February 20, 2024·3 min read

A number of recent incidents in Taiwanese society involve influencers behaving badly, in faking incidents of violent crime for hits Read More

Cannabis Decriminalization Advocates Rally on Ketagalan Boulevard

English Events Life

·April 15, 2023·2 min read

Cannabis decriminalization advocates held a demonstration and fair on Ketagalan Boulevard in front of the Presidential Office Building today. Organizers claimed 2,000 were in attendance. While the demonstration was to mark 420, the rally took place instead today because of the weekend. This is the fifth time such a demonstration has been held in Taiwan, with last year’s demonstration called off due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Read More

“A Journey in Spring” is a Moving, Understated Story of Loss

English Film

·June 8, 2025·2 min read

A Journey in Spring is a moving, understated film about an elderly Taiwanese couple, Khim-Hok and Siu-Tuan. Its focus on love, mortality, and aging proves reminiscent of Michael Haneke’s Amour—but as though it details what happens after the end of the film Read More