An Island of Splendor - The Thousand Faces of Taiwan Cinema

Taiwan, situated at the periphery of multiple empires, has been a military strongpoint coveted by colonial powers and a safe haven for political exiles since the 17th century. Over the past three hundred years, Taiwan was subjected to cession, military occupation and sovereignty transfers by different regimes, which accounts for the island’s multilingualism and complex national identity. Through cinema, the peculiar fate of Taiwan is projected onto the silver screen, refracting the island into a myriad of splendid facets.