What is Taiwanese American cinema? Films directed by Taiwanese Americans? Films about the relationship between nation and diaspora? Films that explore the specific experiences of American-born Taiwanese? Films that distinguish themselves culturally or politically from the more recognizable “Asian American” or “Chinese American” film? There’s not enough of a critical mass of films to answer that question with any meaningful conviction. But perhaps this ambiguity is what has…
Filmmakers in Taiwan have always had their sights on the world and not just the nation. For one, the concept of nation in Taiwan is tricky, especially through decades of colonization, American influence, and rapid globalization. When we think of the globalization of Taiwanese cinema, we typically think of the international film festival success of filmmakers like Hou Hsiao-hsien, Edward Yang, and Tsai Ming-liang. But we can also observe that filmmakers in Taiwan have long travelled abroad to…
By guest contributor Brian Hu, a film curator and educator with a focus on Asian and Asian American cinema. Where does one start with Taiwan cinema? While it was barely scraping by with a couple dozen features per year in the early 2000s, the Taiwanese film industry had once been one of the world’s biggest, churning out a combination of local Taiwanese-language productions, big propaganda epics, and Hong Kong co-productions. This is a formidable history, one that has chronicled Taiwanese…
From the point of view of a Taiwanese American eighteen year old aspiring filmmaker I’ve been following “Everything Everywhere All At Once” since the first trailer released over a year ago. The trailer told me nothing about the plot of the movie, but as soon as I saw it, I knew it would be the most epic movie I had ever seen. There was a combination of factors that intrigued me: the sci-fi/Asian American immigrant mother-daughter hybrid story, the mysteriousness of the trailer,…
Independent filmmaker Anne Hu is cooking up a new project rooted in her own experience growing up Taiwanese American in a predominantly white suburb of Cleveland. Titled Lunchbox, this short drama will feature modern-day scenes of a woman cooking the foods from her mother’s cookbook, interspersed with childhood memories of her attempts to fit in with her classmates--and the effects this had on her relationship with her mother. Writer Grace Hwang Lynch chatted with Anne to find out more…
Feature photo from the Office of the President
aka "Taiwan #1" All year long, we enjoy showcasing the best and most promising of Taiwanese America (and Taiwan). It has been our proud mission to highlight the amazing stories and people of our community. During this most challenging year in the midst of a global pandemic, inspirational stories have kept our spirits up. Now, with the year's end in sight, the annual superlatives lists have started popping up, and we've taken note. During the past…
FEATURE IMAGE: HELLO FROM TAIWAN, dir. TIFFANY FRANCES
We are beaming with Taiwanese American pride as our stories come to life and are being projected across the country! A global pandemic may have paused in-person film festivals and gatherings in America, but that hasn't stopped organizers from creating virtual film festivals accessible to a wider audience. Lucky for us because there are more than a handful of excellent Taiwanese and Taiwanese American films being showcased by several organizations…
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0AKwjfFE1u/ Editor's Note: I'm thrilled to present two perspectives on LATE LIFE: The Chien-Ming Wang Story - both from bay area-raised college students who chose to pursue college in the Midwest. Derek is a student at the University of Michigan, and Vivienne is a student at Washington University in St. Louis. DEREK SHAO
In baseball, the term “late life” is used to describe sudden and unexpected movement as a pitch crosses home plate. It is a fitting metaphor…
Prof. Larry Tung will screen and discuss his 2018 documentary, Taiwan! Let's Get Married, and 2019 follow-up documentary, A Big Fat Taiwanese Same-Sex Wedding Banquet. Taiwan! Let's Get Married! (2018, RT 17:44)
On May 24, 2017, Taiwan's Constitutional Court ruled in favor of legalizing same-sex marriage, setting a 2-year deadline for the legislature to make new or amend existing laws to make it a reality. This landmark ruling is setting the stage for the island to become the first country…
「導演楊佈新耗費六年、走訪美中台三地而完成的紀錄片《疾風魅影─黑貓中隊》，聚焦於台美合作的「快刀計畫」中一支重要且神秘的隊伍——「黑貓中隊」，前空軍35中隊。 It took Director Johnathon six years and numerous traveling between China, Taiwan, and US to finish the documentary film “Lost Black Cats – 35th Squadron”. The spotlight focuses on Taiwan-US collaborative “Project Razor” and one secretive yet significant…
