A 1995 Taiwanese film set druing the country’s notorious White Terror period has been screened in London for the first time.
The film is Super Citizen Ko directed by Wan Jen. It portrays the impact of the oppressive White Terror of the 1950s, and tells the story of an old man trying to locate a friend’s grave. The old man gave away his friend’s name under torture and his friend was executed.
The screening took place on Monday, and is part of a collaboration project between Taiwan’s Ministry of Culture and the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). The film’s director Wan Jen attended the screening and a Q&A session where the enthusiastic audience asked many questions.
Wan Jen’s latest film, It Takes Two to Tango, will be released in Taiwan in November. The satirical comedy tells the story of a Chinese man falling in love with a Taiwanese woman from a family that regards anyone Chinese with suspicion. Wan said he made the film because he believes that interaction between Taiwan and China will be a dominant issue in the near future, and hopes the film will encourage discussion.