This is Your Sign to Stop Sleeping on Taiwanese Cinema

For more than a decade, the San Diego Asian Film Festival’s Taiwan Showcase has brought the rich history of Taiwanese cinema in what is now the largest showcase of Taiwanese films in North America.   

In recent years, Taiwan seems to have taken more presence in American news and media. As a young Taiwanese American adult, I’ve been fascinated to see growing awareness of my cultural roots among my peers. Countlessly having to point out Taiwan on the map and explaining that no, Taiwan is not the same thing as China, and yes, Taiwan is different from Thailand–I feel a sense of validation that Taiwan is finally being seen. 

Indeed, the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF), hosted by non-profit Pacific Arts Movement, features the largest showcase of Taiwanese cinema in North America. Since its inception in 2000, the festival has consistently brought viewers a wealth of unique Asian American and international cinema that you can’t find on Netflix, ranging from masterful classics to notable new filmmakers. Now boasting “the largest exhibition of Asian cinema in the western United States”, SDAFF brings its 13th Taiwan Showcase to audiences on the west coast in a collaboration with the UC San Diego Center for Taiwan Studies. According to Jason Chien, the Center Coordinator, the goal of the showcase is “to amplify Taiwanese voices and stories within the global cinematic landscape, highlighting the depth and breadth of Taiwan’s film industry.”

For Taiwanese filmmakers, the showcase offers an “invaluable platform to introduce their work to international audiences.” Brian Hu, the festival’s Artistic Director and the brain behind the beautifully curated breadth of films presented, explains that this has been “a good time for Taiwanese cinema.” Despite many promising filmmakers seduced by streaming services offering access to a larger audience, Hu works tirelessly year-round to uncover gems that represent the evolution of Taiwanese cinema. 

The selection of classics, new films, and shorts reveal an intriguing history, and Hu took time to give me a brief crash course. Before the 1980s, Taiwanese cinema enjoyed a golden period. Taiwanese filmmakers were producing not just for Taiwan, but the Southeast Asian market as well. Then came the 1980s-1990s: these were accompanied by the relaxation of martial law and growing Taiwan-U.S. relations, resulting in increased import of Hollywood films. “This led to increased Americanization of the Taiwanese film audience,” Hu shared. This is reflected in what I hear from my cousins–the “famous American” movies they know and glorify tend to be films from that era, such as Jurassic Park

But the arrival of Hollywood in Taiwan came with an unseen side effect. “A lot of young filmmakers fresh out of college had all these ideas about how Taiwan cinema was going to reflect the truth about Taiwan that they were not allowed to tell during the [martial] years,” said Hu. As a result, the Taiwanese films at the time were characterized by art films, with characteristic long takes and the cameras far from the characters. “I think it was showing a sense of unease a lot of people in Taiwan were feeling, or a feeling of needing space to reflect on their history, language, etc.” However, these films struggled to compete with Hollywood. 

Mahjong (1996), one of the films selected for SDAFF this year, was from that period. Written and directed by Edward Yang, the film reveals Yang’s frustration with the Taiwanese audience and their abandonment of the domestic film market in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

Mahjong (1996), written and directed by Edward Yang

Nevertheless, the tides turned in the late 2000s, with a film called Cape No. 7 (2008), by Wei Te-sheng. Maintaining its reign as the highest grossing domestic Taiwanese film, this film turned Taiwanese audiences back toward the domestic film market. “Audiences realized it’s fun to listen to our own languages and code-switching and music–and that changed everything”, Hu remarked. 

Today, the film industry in Taiwan is enjoying more success. Some of these new films are featured at SDAFF, including Dead Talents Society, by director John Hsu, which seeks to redefine the meaning of success, with a unique take that has been well-received by international audiences. I had the opportunity to speak with Hsu earlier this week, who shared this hope that when Taiwanese American viewers like myself see the film, that we can feel a sense of home and connection to our roots. As Chien put it, the showcase “connects us to stories that reflect our heritage, our struggles, and our triumphs. It’s a way for people to dive into Taiwan’s culture and history while also experiencing fresh, modern perspectives through film.”

Audiences realized it’s fun to listen to our own languages and code-switching and music–and that changed everything.
— Brian Hu, SDAFF Artistic Director

Dead Talents Society, directed by John Hsu

To me, it’s special to see the rise in international viewership and the positive response from folks who can relate to themes and ideas about our humanity that transcend our cultural differences. Moving forward, I hope to see greater acceptance of–and perhaps even a motivation to seek out–films from underrepresented communities. Film festivals such as SDAFF are instrumental in bringing these voices and stories to wider audiences.

So if you find yourself flipping through Netflix’s new releases (yet again), consider getting off the couch and checking out the San Diego Asian Film Festival. You just might discover your new favorite filmmaker or see a unique story that really inspires you. 


Taiwan Showcase films showing tomorrow (Nov 16): 

Abiding Nowhere, directed by Tsai Ming-liang
“The 10th installment of Tsai Ming Liang’s epic Walker series, in which a monk moves with mesmerizing slowness - this time across Washington DC. Inspired by a 7th century monk’s pilgrimage from China to India, a riveting experience of muscular control, vocabularies of time, and the sheer effort of presence.” -SDAFF website

5:20 pm | Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA@SDMA) | Tickets here

Pierce, directed by Nelicia Low

Pierce, directed by Nelicia Low
“Zi-Jie always felt that his brother was wrongfully imprisoned for killing an opponent during a fencing match. So when his brother is released, Zi-Jie secretly lets him back in his life – as a fencing coach. Sharp, nimble, and in full control, Nelicia Low’s thriller is a showstopper.” -SDAFF website 

5:20 pm | Edwards Mira Mesa | Tickets here


ABOUT THE SAN DIEGO ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL:

Pacific Arts Movement (Pac Arts) is the most comprehensive portrait of Asian and Asian American cinema in North America. Located in San Diego, California, Pac Arts is the presenter of the annual San Diego Asian Film Festival, the largest showcase of Asian cinema on the West Coast, and the Spring Showcase of Asian Cinema. The 25th SDAFF is taking place November 7-16, 2024. For more information, visit sdaff.org..

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Director John Hsu Redefines Success with “Dead Talents Society”