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Taiwan New Cinema
Taiwan New Cinema (also known as New Taiwanese Cinema or the Taiwan New Wave) was a film reform movement initiated by young Taiwanese filmmakers and directors which took place from 1982 to 1987. Taiwan New Cinema films primarily showcase a realistic style with their depictions of subject matter close to the social reality, offering a retrospective look into the lives of the common people. Taiwan New Cinema brought about a new chapter for the cinema of Taiwan with its innovative form and unique style.
On August 15, 1945, Taiwan was liberated from Japanese rule after Japan unconditionally surrendered. The Republic of China's Nationalist government took over Taiwan and abolished the Japanization implemented by the Japanese rule, including the Japanization of spoken languages in Taiwan. The Nationalist government started the promotion of Mandarin. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ended with the CCP taking control of mainland China, while the Nationalist Kuomintang Party retreated to Taiwan.
In the 1950s, to comply with the government's political agenda, the three major state-owned film studios (Taiwan Film Culture Co., the China Motion Picture Studio, and the Agricultural Education Film Studio) underwent structural reform. Subsequently, through the restrictions imposed by censorship and ideological regulation, the government fully managed and controlled the film industry. During this period, Taiwanese films largely aligned with the anti-communist and anti-Soviet political ideology and became tools for political propaganda, resulting in mediocre content. Under the special circumstances of the Chinese Civil War and the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, Taiwanese audiences, amidst a gloomy situation, found resonance in local film culture, leading to the rise of Taiyupian (Taiwanese-language cinema).
In the 1960s, the situation across the Taiwan Strait gradually stabilized, and the overall social atmosphere became slightly more relaxed. With the U.S. military presence in Taiwan, Taiwan began to experience stable development. In March 1963, Kung Hong, the newly appointed president at the Central Motion Picture Corporation, proposed a film production style called healthy realism that, while adopting the filmmaking style of realistic films in Europe and the United States, avoided exposing the dark side of society. Surprisingly, the approach of concealing the bad while promoting the good and of advocating humanitarianism were well-received in the Taiwanese market. This innovation not only elevated the production standards of Taiwanese films but also opened up the overseas Chinese market for films.
In addition, many films adapted from the novels of Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao introduced extensively emerging thematic elements of romance and melancholy, and hence expanded the horizons of Taiwanese cinema. During this period, Mandarin-language films flourished, overshadowing and gradually leading to the decline of the Taiyupian market.
In the 1970s, under the leadership of Chiang Ching-kuo, who was serving as the Premier of the Executive Yuan at the time, Taiwan embarked on the Ten Major Construction Projects to accelerate economic development. As a result, Taiwanese society transitioned from an agrarian society to an industrial one, and the majority of Taiwanese people became more affluent. Films at the time started responding to societal demands with the production of patriotic films, romance films, martial arts films, kung fu films, and comedy films, all of which became the mainstream media providing entertainment for the public.
However, these films eventually faced rejection from audiences due to their repetitive nature and adherence to established conventions. The influx of American and Hong Kong films into the Taiwanese market further exacerbated the decline of Taiwanese cinema.
In June 1978, Ming Ji, the president of Central Motion Picture Corporation, revisited film production trends and guidelines and set goals to "strengthen policy propaganda and promote cooperation with both domestic and overseas filmmakers." In 1980, the Government Information Office of the Executive Yuan put in efforts to enhance the artistic and international dimensions of Taiwanese films. The Central Motion Picture Corporation was tasked with initiating a series of reforms, such as personnel reorganization. Hsiao Yeh was appointed as the Deputy Manager of the Production Planning Department and the Head of the Planning Team, and Wu Nien-jen, an emerging writer at the time, was hired for screenwriting.
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Taiwan New Cinema
Taiwan New Cinema (also known as New Taiwanese Cinema or the Taiwan New Wave) was a film reform movement initiated by young Taiwanese filmmakers and directors which took place from 1982 to 1987. Taiwan New Cinema films primarily showcase a realistic style with their depictions of subject matter close to the social reality, offering a retrospective look into the lives of the common people. Taiwan New Cinema brought about a new chapter for the cinema of Taiwan with its innovative form and unique style.
On August 15, 1945, Taiwan was liberated from Japanese rule after Japan unconditionally surrendered. The Republic of China's Nationalist government took over Taiwan and abolished the Japanization implemented by the Japanese rule, including the Japanization of spoken languages in Taiwan. The Nationalist government started the promotion of Mandarin. In 1949, the Chinese Civil War between the Nationalist Party (Kuomintang) and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) ended with the CCP taking control of mainland China, while the Nationalist Kuomintang Party retreated to Taiwan.
In the 1950s, to comply with the government's political agenda, the three major state-owned film studios (Taiwan Film Culture Co., the China Motion Picture Studio, and the Agricultural Education Film Studio) underwent structural reform. Subsequently, through the restrictions imposed by censorship and ideological regulation, the government fully managed and controlled the film industry. During this period, Taiwanese films largely aligned with the anti-communist and anti-Soviet political ideology and became tools for political propaganda, resulting in mediocre content. Under the special circumstances of the Chinese Civil War and the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union, Taiwanese audiences, amidst a gloomy situation, found resonance in local film culture, leading to the rise of Taiyupian (Taiwanese-language cinema).
In the 1960s, the situation across the Taiwan Strait gradually stabilized, and the overall social atmosphere became slightly more relaxed. With the U.S. military presence in Taiwan, Taiwan began to experience stable development. In March 1963, Kung Hong, the newly appointed president at the Central Motion Picture Corporation, proposed a film production style called healthy realism that, while adopting the filmmaking style of realistic films in Europe and the United States, avoided exposing the dark side of society. Surprisingly, the approach of concealing the bad while promoting the good and of advocating humanitarianism were well-received in the Taiwanese market. This innovation not only elevated the production standards of Taiwanese films but also opened up the overseas Chinese market for films.
In addition, many films adapted from the novels of Taiwanese writer Chiung Yao introduced extensively emerging thematic elements of romance and melancholy, and hence expanded the horizons of Taiwanese cinema. During this period, Mandarin-language films flourished, overshadowing and gradually leading to the decline of the Taiyupian market.
In the 1970s, under the leadership of Chiang Ching-kuo, who was serving as the Premier of the Executive Yuan at the time, Taiwan embarked on the Ten Major Construction Projects to accelerate economic development. As a result, Taiwanese society transitioned from an agrarian society to an industrial one, and the majority of Taiwanese people became more affluent. Films at the time started responding to societal demands with the production of patriotic films, romance films, martial arts films, kung fu films, and comedy films, all of which became the mainstream media providing entertainment for the public.
However, these films eventually faced rejection from audiences due to their repetitive nature and adherence to established conventions. The influx of American and Hong Kong films into the Taiwanese market further exacerbated the decline of Taiwanese cinema.
In June 1978, Ming Ji, the president of Central Motion Picture Corporation, revisited film production trends and guidelines and set goals to "strengthen policy propaganda and promote cooperation with both domestic and overseas filmmakers." In 1980, the Government Information Office of the Executive Yuan put in efforts to enhance the artistic and international dimensions of Taiwanese films. The Central Motion Picture Corporation was tasked with initiating a series of reforms, such as personnel reorganization. Hsiao Yeh was appointed as the Deputy Manager of the Production Planning Department and the Head of the Planning Team, and Wu Nien-jen, an emerging writer at the time, was hired for screenwriting.