Sentimentalism and De-politicization:Some Problems of Documentary Culture in Contemporary Taiwan

Abstract

In recent years, documentary filmmaking in Taiwan has evolved into an enthusiastic cultural practice, outshining, if not replacing, the significance of feature films, which have been suffering for years from poor government subsidiary policies. Although works by award-winning directors such as Hou Hsiao-hsien and Tsai Ming-liang still occasionally appear on the line-up of major international film festivals in Cannes, Berlin or Venice, they do not reflect the general reality of an impoverished feature filmmaking milieu in the island. As a result, low-budget, often self-financed and lightly-equipped production of documentary works seems to be an outlet for those interested in or devoted to filmmaking in Taiwan.