The Formosa Foundation has delivered a DVD of the movie Formosa Betrayed to the offices of all 536 members of the US Congress.
“We have had a great response and created enormous interest,” said Terri Giles, executive director of the Los Angeles-based foundation.
The foundation said Formosa Betrayed was the first US film dealing with US-Taiwan relations and exploring the issues of democracy, identity and justice during the White Terror period.
“By using the film as a platform to open honest discussions about Taiwan and the importance of its democracy, we have a powerful tool to use in our fight to reach our goal of changing the ‘one China’ policy and gaining recognition of Taiwan,” said a statement from the foundation, which promotes the advancement of human rights, democracy and the right of self-determination for Taiwan.
“The DVDs were snapped up like candy,” Giles told the Taipei Times. “One member of Congress is planning a special screening of the film for his whole staff.”
She said that particularly the younger staff members in both the House and Senate were fascinated to learn a little of Taiwan’s history.
“They just don’t know the back story, and this movie helps to bring them up to speed,” she said.
“We can then explain to these younger staff members how the Congress played such a significant role in Taiwan’s democracy. The movie changes the way people think about Taiwan. It helps them to understand why Taiwan’s democracy is so important. It’s a very powerful and moving film,” she said.
While the film does not attempt to cover the whole of Taiwanese history and simply provides a dramatic and fictionalized glimpse of one short period, the foundation believes it will be enough to encourage viewers to learn more.
Each copy of the film had to be hand delivered to members’ offices to avoid the rigorous mail screening process — almost certain to damage or destroy a DVD — which has been in place since the 2001 anthrax attacks on Congress.
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