Cinema of Taiwan

The Cinema of Taiwan is deeply rooted in the island's unique history. Since its introduction to Taiwan in 1901 under Japanese rule, cinema has developed in Taiwan through several distinct stages. It has also developed outside of the Hong Kong mainstream and the censorship of the People's Republic of China.

Characteristic

Taiwanese Directors

In recent years, Taiwan's film industry has been supported by a group of internationally respected filmmakers. Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang have built solid positions as Taiwanese directors. In addition, the Malaysian-Chinese Tsai Ming-liang has gained the world's attention as a Taiwanese director.

Though a number of Taiwanese directors have chosen to explore themes of nostalgia and historical memory, Tsai Ming-liang has focussed his feature films on the lives of urban men and women. Rebels of the Neon God observed the empty life of young people, while Vive L'Amour touched on lonely urban men and women licking each other's wounds. Tsai's film gives a feeling of a modern fable, but it is at times difficult to understand.