TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — 10 Years Taiwan (十年台灣), a collection of five short movies that largely homes in on current and future predicaments for the nation’s citizens, returns this month for a series of special screenings around the island.
The project has been making the rounds at film festivals across the globe since last year. It highlights the directorial talents of five budding young filmmakers from varied backgrounds, including the indigenous Amis ethnic group (阿美族), the second generation of new immigrants to Taiwan, overseas Chinese from Malaysia, and non-aboriginal Taiwanese.
The diverse upbringings of the filmmakers help inform both their creative proclivities and the difficult subject matters they tackle. 10 Years Taiwan interprets some of the contemporary dilemmas faced by many people at the margins of Taiwanese society.
The first movie of the set, “The Can of Anido,” follows the tale of an old, aboriginal activist-now-farmer whose lifestyle was ravaged by a government-imposed nuclear waste facility on his ancestral land. This is followed by “942,” which adopts the lens of a Taiwanese nurse dispatched to Indonesia in the future, who discovers the horrendous ordeal she faces is not unique to her current time and situation.
'The Sleep' is a glimpse into a dystopian future where a woman lives through her dreams (Provided by 10 Years Taiwan)
The third film, “Way Home,” tackles the desolation of Taiwan’s rural communities. Offering a light reprise from the otherwise sombre mood permeating the collection, the fourth film “A Making-Of” satirizes traditional Taiwanese family values. The final movie, “The Sleep,” is a short sci-fi adventure.
The 10 Years franchise has been adapted by Thai and Japanese directors but originally began with the 2015 Hong Kong movie of the same name. The movie depicts the autonomous region in the year 2025, as human rights and freedoms have diminished with the Chinese Communist Party’s increasing imposition over its people.
10 Years was praised for its unapologetic exposé of the political troubles Hong Kong faces. It is hoped the Taiwanese edition can encourage society to think about the problems that confront many within Taiwan too.
Screening times and locations are as follows:
- Jan. 20 (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. New Taipei – Fuzhong 15 (followed by discussion)
- Jan. 21 (Monday) 7:00 p.m. Taipei － SPOT Huashan (followed by discussion）
- Jan. 23 (Wednesday) 7:00 p.m. Kaohsiung － in89
- Jan. 24 (Thursday) 7:00 p.m. Tainan － Chin Men Theater
- Jan. 24 (Thursday) 7:00 p.m. Kaohsiung－ in89
- Jan. 25 (Friday) 7:10 p.m. Taipei － Wonderful Theater
- Jan. 25 (Friday) 7:00 p.m. Taichung － Kbro Cinema
- Jan. 25 (Friday) 19:00 Kaohsiung － in89
More information can be found on the official Facebook page.
