| Compiled by Martin Williams
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| Persepolis This is an award-winning French animated film based on the autobiographical graphic novels by Marjane Satrapi, and is also nominated for best animated film at the Oscars on Sunday. It’s about a spirited girl growing up in Tehran before and after the Islamic revolution. Her worried parents send her to live in Vienna after fearing for her safety, but there she finds herself an outsider. When she returns to Iran as an adult, things are no better. The story may be downbeat but critics are raving about its humor and humanity. It’s worlds away from Hollywood animated product, and makes for a fascinating comparison with Rambo, another cartoon about political and social oppression that starts today. |  |
| Traveling with Yoshitomo Nara Yoshitomo Nara is a renowned Japanese pop artist whose works feature cute, cartoon-like children and creatures, sometimes with sinister elements thrown in. Nara is well regarded around the world, and this documentary follows him on an international tour, which includes Taipei, as the artist takes on collaborative projects for the first time.
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| Perng Mang: The Haunted Drum More eclectic Thai horror in this period piece as a young man of social standing in the early 19th century learns how to play the possessed drum of the title, which turns out to have romantic advantages but fatal consequences for a good number of characters. Thai film buffs sneered at this one, which was made by two first-time directors. Good for a few kooky death scenes, though, as the drum — made from the skin of a beautiful woman — attracts the attention of a rival musician. |  |
Seven hundred job applications. One interview. Marco Mascaro arrived in Taiwan last year with a PhD in engineering physics and years of experience at a European research center. He thought his Gold Card would guarantee him a foothold in Taiwan’s job market. “It’s marketed as if Taiwan really needs you,” the 33-year-old Italian says. “The reality is that companies here don’t really need us.” The Employment Gold Card was designed to fix Taiwan’s labor shortage by offering foreign professionals a combined resident visa and open work permit valid for three years. But for many, like Mascaro, the welcome mat ends at the door. A
The Western media once again enthusiastically forwarded Beijing’s talking points on Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment two weeks ago that an attack by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) on Taiwan was an existential threat to Japan and would trigger Japanese military intervention in defense of Taiwan. The predictable reach for clickbait meant that a string of teachable moments was lost, “like tears in the rain.” Again. The Economist led the way, assigning the blame to the victim. “Takaichi Sanae was bound to rile China sooner rather than later,” the magazine asserted. It then explained: “Japan’s new prime minister is
NOV. 24 to NOV. 30 It wasn’t famine, disaster or war that drove the people of Soansai to flee their homeland, but a blanket-stealing demon. At least that’s how Poan Yu-pie (潘有秘), a resident of the Indigenous settlement of Kipatauw in what is today Taipei’s Beitou District (北投), told it to Japanese anthropologist Kanori Ino in 1897. Unable to sleep out of fear, the villagers built a raft large enough to fit everyone and set sail. They drifted for days before arriving at what is now Shenao Port (深奧) on Taiwan’s north coast,
Divadlo feels like your warm neighborhood slice of home — even if you’ve only ever spent a few days in Prague, like myself. A projector is screening retro animations by Czech director Karel Zeman, the shelves are lined with books and vinyl, and the owner will sit with you to share stories over a glass of pear brandy. The food is also fantastic, not just a new cultural experience but filled with nostalgia, recipes from home and laden with soul-warming carbs, perfect as the weather turns chilly. A Prague native, Kaio Picha has been in Taipei for 13 years and
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