A child of Taiwan's New Wave cinema, award-winning cinematographer En Chen (陳懷恩) has been a long-term collaborator of Hou Hsiao-hsien (侯孝賢) and has worked with acclaimed directors such as Chang Tso-chi (張作驥) and Cheng Wen-tang (鄭文堂) since the 1980s.
After more than 20 years of working at the center of Taiwan's film industry, the veteran cinematographer has decided to tell a story of his own with a scanty government subsidy and lots of supports from friends and money of his own. The end result is his feature debut Island Etude (練習曲), a road movie about Taiwan's past and present, it's beauty and sorrow and the stories of its inhabitants.
With guest appearances by novelist, playwright and filmmaker Wu Nien-jen (吳念真), theater veterans Deng An-ning (鄧安寧) and Yang Li-ying (楊麗音), TV personality Hsu Hsiao-shun (許效舜), musician Kimbo Hu (胡德夫) and others, the film is centered on a hearing-impaired college student named Ming-hsiang and the people and their stories he encounters during his seven-day, round-the-island bike trip. He travels through the scenic seaside landscape in Hulien (花蓮) and along the western coastal highway, passes through the Matsu pilgrimage (媽祖遶境) and a protest by elderly female workers protesting the unannounced closure of the factory in which they had worked for lifetime. The film takes audiences deep into the corners of the country and presents intimate portraits of people from different cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds, all of whom have their own stories to tell.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHI FEI FILM
As the writer, cinematographer and director, Chen makes a genuine effort to share his affection for the island and its people. The narrative is carried through Ming-hsiang's travels through different places, with the natural environment playing an important role and give the piece an unique rhythm and texture. In tune with the New Wave look and spirit, the travelogue ingenuously mixes history, myth, folk memories and contemporary issues of the country and its people.
Though some sections of the film seem over-produced and some less than articulate and rather dull, director Chen pulls off a human story about this diverse country. As the real-life round-the-island biker who inspired Chen to make the film said: "there is something that if you don't do it now, you will never do it for the rest of your life." Chen has certainly grasped the chance to realize his dream and has done a commendable job.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF CHI FEI FILM
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
RSS