Unleashed Desires: Lost Films of Taiwan
From 1955 to 1981, some 1,200 films, known in Mandarin as Taiyupian, were produced in Taiwanese—the first language of the country’s majority. Though wildly popular at first, Taiyupian received little of the official support given to films in Mandarin, the so-called “national language” imposed by the former martial-law regime, and were later dismissed as cheap, tacky, and faintly embarrassing.
But after decades of neglect, ongoing preservation of the 200-odd surviving Taiyupian has uncovered a pop cinema of tremendous vitality and imagination—not to mention an often startling frankness—that rewrites the history of Taiwanese film.
AAAFF teams up with AFS to present four recently-restored Taiyupian that demonstrate the dizzying range and invention of this fascinating genre.
Sponsored by the Taiwan Ministry of Culture
The Movies
The Fantasy of Deer Warrior
Directed by Chang Ying
1961, 1h 27min, DCP
A completely unique Taiwanese fantasy-fable-melodrama about the interactions between various animals in the forest. What makes this so unique is that the animals are played by actors dressed in rather inexpensive costumes. Oddly fascinating and involving. Screening 4/4.
The Husband's Secret
Dir:
Lin Tuan-chiu
1960, 1h 42min, DCP
Don’t let the singular title fool you—hubby has more than one secret to hide after his wife unwittingly reunites him with his now-destitute ex, shaking up their comfortably middle-class marriage. Screening 4/11.
The Bride Who Has Returned From Hell
Dir:
Hsin ChI
1965, 1h 57min, DCP
A young man develops severe neck pain after swimming in a polluted river; his dysfunctional parents are unable to provide any relief for him or themselves. Screening 4/18.
Dangerous Youth
Dir:
Hsin Chi
1969, 1h 34min, DCP
A conniving Don Juan introduces a naïve girl to the neon sights and swingin’ sounds of urban nightlife, but he may have met his match on the less glamorous field of sexual politics. Screening 4/25.