Three cast members of an unreleased film about the unsolved 1980 murders of democracy advocate Lin I-hsiung's (林義雄) family, yesterday demanded their likenesses and voices not be used, seeking to block the movie's release.
Jian Man-shu (簡嫚書), Hsia Teng-hung (夏騰宏) and River Huang (黃河), the lead actors in Murder of the Century (世紀血案), issued a statement after revelations that the film was shot without consent from Lin or his family and faced other controversies.
Photo: Pan Shao-tung, Taipei Times
The production team deliberately concealed that the film was made without the approval of the Lin family, leading the cast and crew to participate unknowingly and causing further harm to the family and society, they said, offering their deepest apologies.
The actors said that before signing onto the project, they and the crew repeatedly asked whether the film had "legal authorization" from the parties involved, and the production team guaranteed all "legal authorization" had been secured, the statement said.
The production team also deliberately hid major controversies in the script, they said.
The actors said in the statement that they would never have accepted the roles had they known the family had not approved the movie, adding that the production team's actions have caused great harm to those involved in the massacre and their families.
They have each retained lawyers to formally demand that the film's production immediately cease using their likenesses, names, voices, performances or any related works, and to block the film's production, release or any form of exposure, they said.
Legal action would be taken if the production team fails to comply, the statement said.
Film producer Kuo Mu-sheng (郭木盛) yesterday confirmed that the film would be postponed indefinitely.
The film was jointly produced by Feisitu Culture and Entertainment Co, Ltd and Feng Shang International Culture Media Ltd, and was scheduled to be released next year.
Lin I-hsiung's mother and six-year-old twin daughters were killed at their Taipei home on Feb. 28, 1980, while Lin, then a prominent opposition figure, was imprisoned over the pro-democracy Formosa Incident.
The perpetrators have never been identified.
The Chinese-language Mirror Media on Monday cited a leaked script, showing that the movie suggests another dissident orchestrated the killings.
In a 2020 report, the Transitional Justice Commission said that while investigators initially pursued the theory, it was "flawed," based on "false assumptions" that "cannot be established at all and should not continue to guide investigative direction."
The commission's report also said authorities failed to properly investigate how the crime could have occurred while the Lin residence was under constant government surveillance.
It added that investigators at the time did not seriously examine whether it was ordered by the then-Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) regime or carried out by rogue personnel — flaws that narrowed the investigation from the start and led to missed opportunities to solve the case.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
SIX SUBSIDIES: The monthly allowance for older farmers is to increase to NT$10,000, and NT$5,000 is to be given to homemakers under the national pension system, Lai said The government is to implement major welfare policies for disadvantaged groups, including raising the monthly allowance for older farmers to NT$10,000 and providing homemakers with NT$5,000 per month, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday. Lai made the remarks during a visit to Wangling Temple in Chiayi County, saying that the planned increases were being introduced amid economic growth and an increase in tax revenue. Touting a policy, in which the government plans to provide a monthly allowance of NT$5,000 for every child under the age of 18 in a bid to address Taiwan’s low birthrate, Lai said that if received for the
RSS