As Taiwan decouples from China, its filmmakers are starting to eschew Chinese profits in favor of political expression.The Diplomat
Date: September 18, 2020
By Anthony Kao

With Disney’s “Mulan,” Hollywood has landed in hot water by grubbing for Chinese profits.

For years, Taiwan’s entertainment industry has done the same. Usually, Taiwanese films and TV shows refuse to touch political themes for fear of losing Chinese market access. Simply depicting Taiwan’s flag, or implying the island has a president, is a no-go. Many of Taiwan’s top entertainers actively pander to Chinese political sentiment, making pro-unification statements and even unification-themed films to stay in Beijing’s good graces.

Now, the situation is starting to change.

Over the past two years, a new wave of political movies and series has hit Taiwan’s theaters and streaming sites, to Beijing’s chagrin.

In 2018, “Taiwan’s Stephen Colbert“ Brian Tseng launched the “Night Night Show,” a late night satirical talk show that has featured virtually every Taiwanese political heavyweight as a guest, and directly assailed Chinese leader Xi Jinping. September 2019 saw horror flick “Detention,” which depicted torture scenes from Taiwan’s White Terror. “Island Nation,” a show that dramatizes Lee Teng-hui‘s presidency during the 1990s, premiered in January 2020 after earning an attack from China’s state-owned media outlet The Global Times.   [FULL  STORY]