Although Taiwanese movie Monga (艋舺), sponsored by Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs, will not be in theaters until next year, content from trailers for the movie has already raised controversy.
A trailer and a behind-the-scenes special on the movie’s official Web site contains mostly gangster fights and brothel scenes, raising concerns that the movie would leave a negative impression of the area in the minds of moviegoers.
The movie takes its name from Bangka, the Hoklo (Taiwanese) name for a part of Wanhua District (萬華) in Taipei. Taipei City’s Department of Cultural Affairs sponsored the film, hoping to use it to promote tourism in the area.
Bangka was the place where Han Chinese immigrants established their first trading post in Taipei, and it was from Bangka that the whole city developed.
The name “Bangka” actually came from the local Aboriginal word for “canoe,” as the Aborigines at the time carried goods in canoes to trade with the Han Chinese based there.
Wanhua District has many historic landmarks, such as Longshan Temple (龍山寺) and several well-known night markets.
Qingshan Borough (青山里) chief Lee Chao-cheng (李昭成) criticized the movie, saying organized crime was only a small part of Bangka’s history.
“It took us many years of hard work to get rid of the bad impression that people used to have of the area, but now [the movie] is restoring that image,” Lee said.
“All residents — young and old alike — are opposed to it,” he said.
Fuyin Borough (福音里) chief Wan Wen-tu (王文塗), however, said the movie would help the tourism industry in the area since the movie crew helped restore some of the historic streets.
“Bangka is an eye-catching historic town,” an Internet user with the pseudonym “Upup,” who claimed to be a native of Bangka who has worked as a volunteer guide in the area, wrote in a blog post titled: “Why am I opposed to the movie Monga.”
“Bangka has a rich history and so many wonderful stories that can be made into movies, why do [movie makers] not see that? Why do they have to make a movie about crime in the area?” he wrote.
While a movie maker has the freedom to make a movie on whatever topic he or she chooses, he questioned why the city’s culture department agreed to sponsor such a movie.
“In the name of culture, the Department of Cultural Affairs is sponsoring a movie about prostitutes, violence and gangster fights,” the blogger said. “I wonder what kind of culture they are trying to promote?”
The post attracted more than 60 replies, with many supporting the blogger’s view, while others argued that it was not a big issue or that crime and prostitution were part of Bangka’s history.
Doze Niu (鈕承澤), director of the movie, defended Monga.
“We had no intention whatsoever of giving Bangka a bad name, rather we wanted to promote the city,” he said.
Meanwhile, vice mayor and Department of Cultural Affairs commissioner Lee Yung-ping (李永萍) said that any judgment of the movie should be made only after watching it.
“We fully respect freedom of expression, therefore we do not preview the content of sponsored movies in advance,” she said.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all