TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan's first political drama, "Island Nation" (國際橋牌社), will attempt to show a true representation of the 228 Incident in its second season, with families of the victims set to appear in the production.
Described as a Taiwanese counterpart to the White House series "House of Cards," the show will touch on one of the country’s most unspeakable tragedies — the 228 Incident, or the 228 Massacre — in the upcoming season. The event, which refers to the violent crackdown on anti-KMT government protests in Taiwan that lasted from late-February to mid-May 1947, still haunts the country after more than seven decades.
Mirroring late President Lee Teng-Hui's (李登輝) formal apology on behalf of the government in 1995, the show's own Taiwanese leader, played by actor Yang Lieh (楊烈), will acknowledge the country's dark past amid tremendous pressure from KMT members in the new season.
Relatives of the 228 Incident victims, including Lee Jung-chang (李榮昌), Lee Hui-sheng (李慧生), Lin Li-tsai (林黎彩), Ou Yang Hui-mei (歐陽煇美), Pan Hsin-hsing (潘信行), Hsu Shih-hsiung (徐世雄), and Fu Shu-li (傅淑麗), will appear as guest stars during his speech.
Producers of "Island Nation" said it is very important to remind the Taiwanese public of its history. It said that time cannot erase the pain felt by families of the victims but that it can gradually bury the truth.
The second season of the drama has wrapped up production and is currently being edited. An advance screening is expected to take place outdoors sometime by mid-year.
Families of 228 Incident victims: Pan Hsin-hsing, Hsu Shih-hsiung, Lee Jung-chang. ("Island Nation" photo)