The production team of a new local period suspense movie, adapted from the Lin family murders on Feb. 28, 1980, yesterday apologized to the public for shooting it without consent from the victims’ family, after the film’s announcement last week caused a backlash.
The producers of the film, titled Murder of the Century (世紀血案), on Sunday last week held a promotional event, with actors Hsia Teng-hung (夏騰宏), Jian Man-shu (簡嫚書), Johnny Kou (寇世勳), Nana Lee (李千娜) and Candy Yang (楊小黎) attending it and promoting the film.
However, the announcement caused a backlash and there have been calls to boycott the film.
Photo: Pan Shao-tang, Taipei Times
The Lin family murders are one of the most high-profile homicide cases in modern Taiwanese history, and the case remains unsolved.
Shortly after the Formosa Incident on Dec. 10, 1979, then-provincial councilor and democracy advocate Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) was arrested on Dec. 13 for participating in a human rights rally in Kaohsiung.
On Feb. 28, 1980, when Lin was still detained and his wife, Fang Su-min (方素敏), and his then-secretary Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇), now a Control Yuan member, went to visit him at the Jingmei Military Detention Center, his mother and twin daughters were murdered and his eldest daughter was severely injured in his home in Taipei.
Lin, 84, was not informed by, nor gave consent to, the production team before they made the film, sparking public condemnation.
Moreover, as the film’s director, Hsu Kun-hua (徐琨華), is a grandson of Hsu Mei-lin (徐梅鄰), the then-spokesman of the Taiwan Garrison Command — the primary secret police and state security body operating under martial law, which conducted censorship and political repression at the time — his motivation for making the film was also questioned online.
The actors’ remarks at the event also drew fierce criticism.
“If people only know about the incident through online information and always live in fear of the present moment, then maybe it [the film] can revisit the case so that it does not seem so serious or so scary, or give it a new answer,” Lee said.
Kou, who plays the role of a Taiwan Garrison Command and National Security Bureau high official in the film, said he took the role, because “the script itself does not have a strong ideological agenda, but rather focuses on the depiction of the characters and the events.”
Yang said the film has the thrill element like seeing Sherlock Holmes and John Watson solving a crime case.
Lee yesterday issued a statement of apology on social media and promised to donate the pay for her guest appearance to the Chilin Foundation, founded by Lin.
Lee apologized to Lin, and his family and friends for her inappropriate remarks, as well as to all who felt uncomfortable, angry or hurt by it; saying she regrets not understanding the story structure and the facts, and only focusing on her role; adding that she was unaware that the production team did not get Lin or his family’s consent before making the film.
Jian also issued an apology on social media, saying that she took the role under a misconception, leading her to “feel a deep sense of guilt and self-reproach.”
She said that she assumed from the script that it was a film about seeking justice, with insufficient understanding of the historical and social aspects associated with the murders, and that the acting contract had stated that the production was legally authorized, but she only found out on the day of the news event that Lin had not been informed.
Yang also apologized via social media for accepting the role without knowing that the production team did not seek Lin’s consent.
“After learning the truth, I cannot support any creative project that involves real historical trauma without the consent and respect of the victims and their families,” she said.
Following the actors’ statements of apology, the film’s production companies, Phase 2 (費思兔文化娛樂) and MM2 Entertainment Taiwan (風尚國際文化傳媒), yesterday afternoon issued a statement confirming that they had not informed Lin beforehand and apologizing for all the trouble and concerns they caused.
“Lin I-hsiung is a highly respected senior figure of the dangwai (黨外, “outside the party”) political movement, and the tragic incident that occurred in his home was mourned across the nation,” the statement said. “We intend no disrespect, although we were unable to visit him beforehand, and in the future, we will hold respect as our prerequisite, and thoroughly explain ourselves and humbly listen to any possible opinions or guidance he might provide.”
They apologized for the lack of oversight and miscommunication that led to the actors being targets of public criticism, and said that they would take responsibility and are committed to rectifying the situation.
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