Six months after the 24-day occupation of Legislative Yuan, Sunflower participants and supporters will return to the scene tonight — not to protest, but to watch Sunflower Occupation (太陽.不遠), a compilation of nine short documentaries that explore the multiple aspects of the movement and the various issues it raises.
Shortly after the students and activists occupied the legislative floor on March 18, the Taipei Documentary Filmmakers’ Union (台北市紀錄片從業人員職業工會) initiated the collective project and called on filmmakers to join. Eventually, 10 directors, 26 cinematographers and dozens of animators, editors, musicians and volunteers answered the call to create the standalone shorts, funded by 3,154 individual sponsors on VDemocracy.com, a crowdfunding platform for social movements.
Each work tackles a specific theme or issue. The Night of Enlightenment (一夜之間我長大), for example, brings viewers back to the night when the violent crackdown on students occupying the Executive Yuan left many wounded, disenchanted and politically enlightened. Student leader Chen Wei-ting (陳為廷) takes center stage in A Commander Made by Accident (不小心變成總指揮), which offers an honest portrait of Chen’s transformation as an activist. History is revisited in 1990 (我們的1990), revealing how Taiwan has gone through the Wild Lilies (野百合學運) student movement in 1991 to the Sunflowers, as seen through the eyes of former Wild Lilies.
Photo courtesy of Activator Marketing Company
Tonight’s event will take place on Jinan Road (濟南路) outside the legislature. The outdoor screening will start at 7pm, followed by a brief talk by two participating filmmakers He Chao-ti (賀照緹) and Tsai Tsung-lung (蔡崇隆).
After tonight’s screening, the film will tour to 17 cities and towns across the country from tomorrow to Nov. 16. All screenings are free. Those interested need to sign up through www.accupass.com, where screening schedules and venue information are available.
More information about the project can be found on its Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/318doc.
May 6 to May 12 Those who follow the Chinese-language news may have noticed the usage of the term zhuge (豬哥, literally ‘pig brother,’ a male pig raised for breeding purposes) in reports concerning the ongoing #Metoo scandal in the entertainment industry. The term’s modern connotations can range from womanizer or lecher to sexual predator, but it once referred to an important rural trade. Until the 1970s, it was a common sight to see a breeder herding a single “zhuge” down a rustic path with a bamboo whip, often traveling large distances over rugged terrain to service local families. Not only
By far the most jarring of the new appointments for the incoming administration is that of Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) to head the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF). That is a huge demotion for one of the most powerful figures in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Tseng has one of the most impressive resumes in the party. He was very active during the Wild Lily Movement and his generation is now the one taking power. He has served in many of the requisite government, party and elected positions to build out a solid political profile. Elected as mayor of Taoyuan as part of the
Moritz Mieg, 22, lay face down in the rubble, the ground shaking violently beneath him. Boulders crashed down around him, some stones hitting his back. “I just hoped that it would be one big hit and over, because I did not want to be hit nearly to death and then have to slowly die,” the student from Germany tells Taipei Times. MORNING WALK Early on April 3, Mieg set out on a scenic hike through Taroko Gorge in Hualien County (花蓮). It was a fine day for it. Little did he know that the complex intersection of tectonic plates Taiwan sits
When picturing Tainan, what typically comes to mind is charming alleyways, Japanese architecture and world-class cuisine. But look beyond the fray, through stained glass windows and sliding bookcases, and there exists a thriving speakeasy subculture, where innovative mixologists ply their trade, serving exquisite concoctions and unique flavor profiles to rival any city in Taiwan. Speakeasies hail from the prohibition era of 1920s America. When alcohol was outlawed, people took their business to hidden establishments; requiring patrons to use hushed tones — speak easy — to conceal their illegal activities. Nowadays legal, speakeasy bars are simply hidden bars, often found behind bookcases