About the Looking For and the Finding of Love
A tension-ridden romance between a composer and a singer ends in self-inflicted tragedy, or so it seems, until … the latter follows her troubled beau to the other side. Fassbinder, this ain’t. Curiously mixing chronically challenged relationships with special effects, this German fantasy is more than three years old, one among a miserly lineup of films this week that suggests Taiwanese distributors have elected not to put up any real product against the Harry Potter juggernaut. Co-written by Perfume author Patrick Süskind, of all people.
Anamorph
Willem Dafoe stars in this 2007 horror mystery as a cop with a line in hunting serial killers, but his latest case proves to be his most dangerous yet. “Anamorph” refers to the shifting of an image as it is observed from specific positions; the psycho version afflicting Detective Dafoe sees scenes of carnage become works of art. This film’s humdrum critical response shouldn’t be enough to turn away horror fans who like a lot of blood and gristle with their artsy mood. Starts tomorrow.
Bunt
A youngster who lives to deliver hot water in his school finds himself without a purpose in life when new technology arrives, so he looks to the school baseball team for salvation. But there’s a problem: He’s expected to play for a team whose coach is under real pressure. When a film from South Korea that’s more than two years gets a grindhouse release, it’s usually a DVD promotion, and this one is no different. Unlike many, however, this one has real heart and deserves a wider young audience. Starts tomorrow.
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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