Slamdance FF 2024
Greetings again from the darkness. The festival's closing night film selection was this penetrative documentary by Vanessa Hope (granddaughter of producer Walter Wanger and classic film actress Joan Bennett). Given the state of global geopolitics at the moment, this inside glimpse of Taiwan through the eyes of its first female President, Tsai Ing-wen couldn't be more timely.
It's tough to decide which is more heartbreaking: watching high school students proclaim their identity through a Taiwan they view as an independent nation, or China President Xi Jinping stating, "Taiwan is China", and that reunification is inevitable. Taiwan has been a democracy for decades, but it's also a de facto country, one that isn't even allowed to use their own name at the Olympics (Chinese Taipei).
We immediately gain respect for President Tsai Ing-wen as an exceptionally smart and wise and tough leader. On a daily basis, she deals with suppression from China, and has to walk a fine diplomatic line between supporters and detractors. We learn a bit more about The Sunflower Movement, a student-led rebellion and what role that has played in recent history. Unfortunately, this well-made and informative documentary reinforces the dread we feel towards the future of Taiwan as an independent nation.
It's tough to decide which is more heartbreaking: watching high school students proclaim their identity through a Taiwan they view as an independent nation, or China President Xi Jinping stating, "Taiwan is China", and that reunification is inevitable. Taiwan has been a democracy for decades, but it's also a de facto country, one that isn't even allowed to use their own name at the Olympics (Chinese Taipei).
We immediately gain respect for President Tsai Ing-wen as an exceptionally smart and wise and tough leader. On a daily basis, she deals with suppression from China, and has to walk a fine diplomatic line between supporters and detractors. We learn a bit more about The Sunflower Movement, a student-led rebellion and what role that has played in recent history. Unfortunately, this well-made and informative documentary reinforces the dread we feel towards the future of Taiwan as an independent nation.