South China Morning Post Review: Flowers of Taipei – on Taiwan cinema’s global reach1 min read

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For those who don’t know much about its titular subject, Flowers of Taipei: Taiwan New Cinema gives a wonderful primer on why the 1980s were such an important period. For much of the decade Taiwan was still under martial law, and politically the island was isolated. In those circumstances, filmmakers used the big screen to explore Taiwanese identity.

First-time director Hsieh Chin-lin grew up watching movies by directors such as Hou Hsiao-hsien and Edward Yang, and in this documentary presents a nostalgic look at why their outputs have influenced filmmakers around the world. Contrary to the Hong Kong cinema of the time, which was overwhelmingly commercial, Taiwanese films were often slow-moving, character-driven, and carefully framed. The films’ subject matter gave viewers an insight into the issues Taiwanese people were going through, particularly after the Japanese occupation.

The documentary includes interviews with directors such as Olivier Assayas, Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Jia Zhangke and Tian Zhuangzhuang, who talk about how Taiwanese films have affected their own directorial styles and their perceptions of Taiwan. It also features long shots of train rides, walks in parks and compositions that are meant to be a homage to the classics of Taiwan New Cinema.

Read the full article here >> Via South China Morning Post

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