Compiled by Martin Williams
| Escape From Huang Shi (黃石任務) Titled The Children of Huang Shi in Western markets, this is the true saga of English journalist George Hogg (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and American nurse Lee Pearson (Radha Mitchell), who led dozens of orphans to safety across hostile terrain as China collapsed into conflict between the Chinese Nationalists, the Communists and the Japanese. Co-stars Chow Yun-Fat (周潤發) as a fighter who helps the group and Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) as a concerned aristocrat. Directed by Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies), this is billed as the first Australian/Chinese co-production (the producers obviously never saw 1982’s Attack Force Z with Mel Gibson, which was filmed in, ahem, the Republic of China).
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| Ganglamedo (岡拉梅朵) The timing couldn’t be worse — or better? — for this Chinese production about Tibet. The story has Ganglamedo, a young Tibetan woman, disappearing on her wedding night 60 years ago. Jump to the present, and a Han woman singer arrives in Tibet (on the Lhasa Express?) to “find herself” and is drawn into the mystery. Make of the diabolical subtext what you will; the drawcards here are ethnic music in transition, stupendous scenery, colorful costume and dance. Directed by music video queen Dai Wei (戴?) and written by the Tibetan postmodernist author Zhaxi Dawa (扎西達娃). The cheesy trailer is half-baked Bollywood and is on YouTube.
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| Crows: Episode 0 Yet another youth-oriented Japanese film with a manga connection, this one rises above the crowd with energy, detail and wit as the son of a yakuza boss sets his sights on taking over a high school overflowing with gangs and violence. Directed by the irrepressible Takashi Miike (Ichii the Killer), Variety reports that this is a prequel to a planned movie based on the original manga, hence “Episode 0.” |  |
| La Maison de Himiko Here’s the pitch: A young Japanese woman whose father walked out on the family discovers many years later that he has opened a retirement home for gays. She goes to work there because she needs the money, and comes to a better understanding of the residents — but what about her father, who is dying? Here’s the result: Supportive reviews by critics, but with concerns about stereotypes. Released in Japan in 2005. |  |
| Pokemon: The Rise of Darkrai In this, the 10th Pokemon theatrical feature, the feuding “pocket monsters” of time (Dialga) and space (Palkia) are upstaged by the arrival of a hitherto unseen and apparently evil Pokemon called Darkrai. Can our hero Ash Ketchum save the day before a town is left in ruins? Also known as Pocket Monsters the Movie: Diamond and Pearl.
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| Two Sons of Francisco The Spot theater in Taipei is offering an encore season of this 2005 drama from Brazil. A smash hit in its home country, this true story centers on two brothers who became leading performers of Brazilian country and western music, as well as their dirt-poor father who helped them get there. Irregular screenings start on Sunday and end on April 24. |  |
Jason Han says that the e-arrival card spat between South Korea and Taiwan shows that Seoul is signaling adherence to its “one-China” policy, while Taiwan’s response reflects a reciprocal approach. “Attempts to alter the diplomatic status quo often lead to tit-for-tat responses,” the analyst on international affairs tells the Taipei Times, adding that Taiwan may become more cautious in its dealings with South Korea going forward. Taipei has called on Seoul to correct its electronic entry system, which currently lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan),” warning that reciprocal measures may follow if the wording is not changed before March 31. As of yesterday,
The Portuguese never established a presence on Taiwan, but they must have traded with the indigenous people because later traders reported that the locals referred to parts of deer using Portuguese words. What goods might the Portuguese have offered their indigenous trade partners? Among them must have been slaves, for the Portuguese dealt slaves across Asia. Though we often speak of “Portuguese” ships, imagining them as picturesque vessels manned by pointy-bearded Iberians, in Asia Portuguese shipping between local destinations was crewed by Asian seamen, with a handful of white or Eurasian officers. “Even the great carracks of 1,000-2,000 tons which plied
It’s only half the size of its more famous counterpart in Taipei, but the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Nature Science (NMNS, 國立自然科學博物館植物園) is surely one of urban Taiwan’s most inviting green spaces. Covering 4.5 hectares immediately northeast of the government-run museum in Taichung’s North District (北區), the garden features more than 700 plant species, many of which are labeled in Chinese but not in English. Since its establishment in 1999, the site’s managers have done their best to replicate a number of native ecosystems, dividing the site into eight areas. The name of the Coral Atoll Zone might
Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centers. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The
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