Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Shih-ming (林思銘) on Tuesday criticized the Hakka Affairs Council for a NT$57 million (US$1.8 million) subsidy granted to the film The Photo from 1977 (那張照片裡的我們), citing the film’s poor performance at the box office.
The film failed to promote Hakka culture with a box office revenue of NT$9.05 million, Lin said during a legislative session.
The earnings could have been even lower without organized group screenings, he added.
Photo: Hu Shun-hsiang, Taipei Times
The film, which centers on the Chungli Incident, received poor evaluations from some Hakka language teachers, who criticized it for emphasizing aesthetics while lacking a clear narrative, Lin said.
The Chungli Incident was a violent protest in response to alleged vote-rigging by the KMT in then-Taoyuan County’s Chungli Township (中壢) in 1977, when the "tangwai" (黨外, "outside the party") movement achieved unprecedented success in a local election.
Taxpayers’ money should not be wasted, Lin said, questioning whether the subsidy had achieved its intended goal of fostering a Hakka cultural spirit.
Given the outcome, spending such a large sum clearly failed to promote Hakka culture and should be reviewed, he added.
Hakka Affairs Council Minister Ku Hsiu-Fei (古秀妃) said that she was also dissatisfied with the film’s box office performance and narrative.
The council should undertake a review, she said, adding that the Chungli Incident is a significant historical event for Taiwan and the Hakka community.
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