Formosa Betrayed, the first US-made movie devoted to a storyline set during the White Terror era, is scheduled for theatrical release in Taiwan by Sky Digi Entertainment Co this August, the film’s producer said.
“Since before the movie was completed, thousands of fans have wondered when it would be released in Taiwan. Now, we are excited to announce that the film is scheduled to be in Taiwanese theaters beginning the weekend of August 6, 2010,” Taiwanese-American filmmaker William Tiao (刁毓能) said in an open letter issued on Friday.
“Sky Digi is also actively seeking another city aside from Taipei to premiere the film so that as many Taiwanese can see the film,” the letter said, adding that “the theatrical release, premiere and other public activities are subject to the review of the Governmental Information Office.”
The movie is a political thriller that tells the fictional story of the murder of a Taiwanese-American professor on US soil. James Van Der Beek, of Dawson’s Creek fame, stars as an FBI agent investigating the murder.
Written and produced by Tiao, the film was inspired by actual events surrounding the death of Chen Wen-chen (陳文成), a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and critic of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) government at the time, who died under suspicious circumstances during a visit to Taiwan in 1981, and that of Journalist Henry Liu (劉宜良), who was killed by gangsters allegedly working for the Taiwanese government in Daly City, California, in 1984.
Liu had written an unflattering biography of then-president Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國), the son of dictator Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石).
The film opened in the US on the weekend of Feb. 28 and has been screened in more than 30 selected cities including New York, Los Angeles, Washington, Miami, Atlanta, Seattle, and Honolulu.
This independent film was largely financed by the Taiwanese-American community.
“The story of the Taiwanese people’s struggle for identity, justice and independence has never been told in a Hollywood film,” Tiao said earlier this year.
“Our hope was that the film would be a springboard for discussion about the issues surrounding Taiwan’s status and the Taiwanese people’s desire for democracy and recognition,” he said.
GENSLER SURVEY: ‘Economic infrastructure is not enough. A city needs to inspire pride, offer moments of joy and foster a sense of belonging,’ the company said Taipei was named the city with the “highest staying power” in the world by US-based design and architecture firm Gensler. The Taiwanese capital earned the top spot among 65 cities across six continents with 64 percent of Taipei respondents in a survey of 33,000 people saying they wanted to stay in the city. Rounding out the top five were Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City (61 percent), Singapore (59 percent), Sydney (58 percent) and Berlin (51 percent). Sixth to 10th place went to Monterrey, Mexico; Munich, Germany; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Vancouver; and Seoul. Cities in the US were ranked separately, with Minneapolis first at
The Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association has cautioned Japanese travelers to be vigilant against pickpockets at several popular tourist spots in Taiwan, including Taipei’s night markets, the Yongkang Street area, Zhongshan MRT Station, and Jiufen (九份) in New Taipei City. The advisory, titled “Recent Development of Concerns,” was posted on the association’s Web site under its safety and emergency report section. It urges travelers to keep backpacks fully zipped and carried in front, with valuables placed at the bottom of the bag. Visitors are advised to be especially mindful of their belongings when taking photos or speaking on the phone, avoid storing wallets and
Scoot announced yesterday that starting in October, it would increase flights between Taipei and Japan’s Narita airport and Hokkaido, and between Singapore and Taipei. The low-cost airline, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, also said it would launch flights to Chiang Rai in Thailand, Okinawa and Tokyo’s Haneda airport between December and March next year. Flights between Singapore and Chiang Rai would begin on Jan. 1, with five flights per week operated by an Embraer E190-E2 aircraft, Scoot said. Flights between Singapore and Okinawa would begin on Dec. 15, with three flights per week operated by Airbus A320 aircraft, the airline said. Services between Singapore
ENDORSING TAIWAN: Honduran presidential candidate Nasry Afura said that Honduras was ‘100 times better off’ when it was allied with Taipei The Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday said it would explore the possibility of restoring diplomatic relations with Honduras based on the principle of maintaining national interests and dignity. The ministry made the remarks in response to reporters’ questions regarding an article titled: “Will Taiwan Regain a Diplomatic Ally?” published in The Diplomat on Saturday. The article said Honduras’ presidential election in November could offer Taiwan the chance to regain an ally, as multiple candidates have promoted re-establishing diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Honduras severed diplomatic ties with Taiwan in March 2023 in favor of Beijing, but since switching its diplomatic recognition,
RSS