Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Ngalim Tiunn (張雅琳) yesterday criticized Sunshine Women’s Choir (陽光女子合唱團), a Taiwanese production that received a government subsidy, for calling itself the “all-time box office champion for Chinese-language films from the China-Taiwan region.”
In a post on the film’s official social media account on Monday last week, it boasted a cumulative box office of NT$740 million (US$23.2 million), saying it broke an 18-year record for “Chinese-language films in the China-Taiwan region.”
The film, set to premiere in China next Saturday, received more than NT$18 million in Taiwanese government subsidies from the Ministry of Culture, as well as the Taipei and Taoyuan city governments, Tiunn said in a post on social media yesterday.
Photo: Screen grab from the film’s Sina Weibo account
“This is taxpayers’ money, and yet the film went along with China’s cultural ‘united front’ rhetoric,” she said, accusing it of hurting the feelings of Taiwanese people and undermining the subjectivity of Taiwanese culture.
It is understandable that Taiwanese movies face significant pressure when entering the Chinese market, she said.
She asked, “Does the film, which reached an NT$740 million box office with support from Taiwanese audiences and government subsidies, have to become a production from ‘China’s Taiwan region’ when promoted in China?”
She said she has urged the Ministry of Culture to elaborate on the case, adding that she last year requested the ministry review the subsidy system.
She also said she has asked the ministry to consider whether there should be clear regulations governing government-subsidized productions using political rhetoric that belittles Taiwan in overseas promotion.
In response, the Ministry of Culture said yesterday that its Bureau of Audiovisual and Music Industry Development has asked the film’s production team to clarify the situation as soon as possible.
The ministry added that it would soon discuss relevant response mechanisms with industry representatives and agencies.
China has used various “united front” tactics not only to achieve political goals, but also to create confrontation and division, the ministry said.
This places Taiwanese productions under double pressure — either risking failure to enter the Chinese market or hurting the feelings of Taiwanese people, it said.
The ministry said it is pleased to see Taiwanese productions reaching a global audience, but it is obligated to remind the industry that Taiwan’s free and democratic environment is what nurtures good stories.
Support from Taiwanese audiences for domestic films serves as a reminder for the ministry to work with the industry and the public to safeguard the nation’s cultural sovereignty, it added.
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