A new book charts the blossoming of Taiwan’s cinema from the dawn of the democratic era to the present day.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/21
By: Ming-yeh T. Rawnsley

Taiwan New Cinema (TNC) is a cinematic movement that emerged in the 1980s just as democracy was introduced to the island. Its impact cannot be overstated: TNC not only expanded cultural frontiers, but also made possible multiple and alternative onscreen representations of Taiwanese identities and historiographies. Today, the work of cinematic auteurs associated with the first and second waves of TNC continues to attract accolades at prestigious film festivals.

On the other hand, Taiwan’s film industry experienced serious setback when the domestic commercial film market became completely dominated by Hollywood in the 1990s. The long-term decline continued into the 21st century until the appearance of Wei Te-sheng (魏德聖)’s debut feature film, Cape No.7 (2008), which became the most profitable locally made movie in Taiwan’s history.

Prior to Cape No.7, there were several local productions which caught the popular imagination. Yet the popularity of these films did not stimulate a revival, and the struggle for screenings in movie theaters continued. In contrast, the box-office performance of Cape No.7 gathered momentum in 2008 and encouraged positive signs of improvement.

For researchers of Taiwan cinema and cinephilia, this new period of movie-making and consumption raises several questions: Did Cape No.7 usher in a new dawn of filmmaking on the island? What are the characteristics of the so-called ‘post-New Cinema’, and who are its representatives? What is the relationship between the younger generations of Taiwanese filmmakers and the renowned TNC masters? Can we claim that post-New Cinema embodies the legacies of TNC, or does it demonstrate their complete rupture? Moreover, how do these new Taiwan-based filmmakers maintain their presence on the international film festival circuit, and are their films reaching global audiences?
[FULL  STORY]

The man lied about his marriage to another woman and forced his ex-girlfriend into two abortions

Taiwan News
Date: 2018/10/21
By: George Liao, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese woman won a NT$600,000 (almost US$20,000) court case on Friday (Oct. 19) after facing years of physical and psychological abuse at the hands of her ex-boyfriend.

Taipei District Court ruled on Friday that a woman surnamed Yang, who accused her ex-boyfriend of lying about his marriage to another woman and forcing her to have two abortions during their relationship, was entitled to NT$600,000 from the accused.

Yang originally sought NT$1 million (about US$330,000) in damages from her ex-boyfriend, surnamed Tao, for the pain she suffered. According to the ruling, Yang said she began dating Tao in 1996, but they later parted ways. The two got back together in 2014 and subsequently moved in together, resuming their relationship as before.

However, Tao began to date another woman in 2015, and they married secretly in 2016, without Yang knowing.    [FULL  STORY]

Focus Taiwan
Date: 2018/10/21
By: Tzeng Yi-shiuan and Evelyn Kao 

Taipei, Oct. 21 (CNA) The design and production of biodegradable straws made from sugarcane fiber by a Taiwanese company won a gold medal at an international invention fair in southern France earlier this month, as a ban on single-use plastic straws is set to go into force in 2020 in France.

The sugarcane straws developed by Ju-Tian Eco-Material Co., which was founded by Huang Chien-chung (黃千鐘), inventor of sugarcane straws, won a gold medal and a special jury prize at the first Concours Lépine Méditerranéen Montpellier.

The organizers of the fair praised the company for developing the product with zero waste by applying the concept of circular economy, low carbon emissions and low energy consumption.

According to the company’s website, the biodegradable straws’ raw materials are composed of sugarcane fiber and polylactic acid (PLA) and can withstand temperatures ranging from minus 20 degrees Celsius to 50 degrees Celsius and can be reused multiple times.    [FULL  STORY]

HITTING A NERVE: The Taipei mayor’s popularity quickly fell when respondents were asked about the Taipei Dome, with 60.1 percent disapproving of Ko’s performance

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 22, 2018
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je’s (柯文哲) support rating has surpassed those of Chinese

Nationalist Party (KMT) Taipei mayoral candidate Ting Shou-chung (丁守中) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) mayoral candidate Pasuya Yao (姚文智) combined, a poll released yesterday by the Taiwanese Public Opinion Foundation showed.

The survey asked respondents who they would vote for if the elections were held tomorrow.

According to the poll, 42.1 percent of respondents said they would vote for Ko, 28.5 percent said they would vote for Ting and 11.6 percent said they would vote for Yao.

The poll found that 2.6 percent said they would vote for one of the two independent candidates, while 15.1 percent said they were undecided, unwilling to vote or refused to answer.    [FULL  STORY]

dezeen
Date: Oct 20, 2018 
By: Tom Ravenscroft

A trio of dome-shaped structures enclose the Taoyuan Sewage Treatment Project in northern Taiwan, designed by Habitech Architects to resemble mountains, complete with a waterfall and fish pond.

Taipei-based Habitech Architects designed the complex to provide offices and an ecological education centre for a sewage plant located north of Taoyuan.

The domes unite the different facilities. Constructed from modular steel frames with horizontal aluminium louvres, they provide some shelter from the sun, but allow cooling air to enter.

Two of the dome-like forms contain buildings. The largest covers a three-storey administration block for the sewage works, while the smallest one contains a single building with a multifunctional space for use by visitors or for events.    [FULL  STORY]

We spoke with three proudly tattooed women in Taiwan. One would gladly show off her tattoos in public – while hiding them from her parents for seven years.

The News Lens
Date: 2018/10/20
By: TJ Ting

If you are deciding whether or not to get a tattoo, you are likely considering numerous factors. There may be the issue of budget. Maybe you are dreading the pain. It’s also common to worry about what your family might think.

There’s a saying: “Shenti fa fu shou zhi fumu” (身體髮膚受之父母), which translates to “Every hair and every bit of skin on our bodies come from our parents.” In Taiwan, one’s appearance is often considered a vessel of filial piety, tailored to the specifications of the opinions of our elders.

As a result, many people ‘don’t dare to’ get tattoos, rather than ‘don’t want to.’ And when they do get tattoos, they often hide them from their families. Of course, there are now plenty of families with at least two tattooed generations – and this does not count indigenous people such as the Atayal, who have tattooed themselves for hundreds of years.

Each generation goes through a similar dilemma when they begin to break the norms known to their parents – who, of course, did the same with their parents. And each generation manages to find its own way of bringing their outer selves closer to their true selves.    [FULL  STORY]

The conference brochure featured more than 50 bust drawings of participants 

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/10/20
By: Huang Tzu-ti, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An agenda booklet for the Yushan Forum (玉山論壇) that concluded last week in Taipei unexpectedly stole the limelight with its pages of hand-drawn pictures of attending dignitaries.

Unlike typical conference brochures, which usually include real photos of attendees, the booklet featured bust drawings of more than 50 event participants. The illustrations accompanied individual bios and introductions of each speaker, CNA reported.    [FULL  STORY]

‘OLD TRICKS’: KMT spokesman Hung Meng-kai said the DPP had dropped its aspirations for independence after taking office, despite using the issue to shore up its base

Taipei Times
Date: Oct 21, 2018
By: Ko Yo-hao  /  Staff reporter

About 10,000 people yesterday rallied in front of Kaohsiung’s National Stadium for a

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) event themed “Against Chinese Annexation; Protect Taiwan, Against [Chinese] intervention [in elections], Protect Kaohsiung.”

The event started with a performance by Golden Melody Award winner Yan Yung-neng (嚴詠能), a Kaohsiung native, and his band Takaorun (打狗亂歌團).

Speaking on behalf of the organizers, Kaohsiung City Council Speaker Kang Yu-cheng (康裕成) said that for years, China has colluded with unification-minded forces in Taiwan to sow discord in Taiwanese society.

She urged the public to stay alert to “nefarious Chinese forces” that she said have been spreading disinformation on the Internet to manipulate the Nov. 24 nine-in-one elections and to take a firm stand against such forces.    [FULL  STORY]