Our Time Our Story: 20 Years' New Taiwan Cinema

In the beginning of the 80-ies, local cinematography was virtually dead in Taiwan. Only genre films were produced with little interest of the audience. Then, a group of new directors most of whom had studied in Europe or the USA came with original ways of storytelling, personal stories of ordinary people and changed the situation beyond recognition. The Taiwanese New Wave lasted nearly 20 years. This documentary gives voice to all key personalities of this movement as well as their successors. Top world cinematographers such as Hou Hsiao-Hsien, Tsai Ming-Liang or Edward Yang reflect on their beginnings as filmmakers, their international success as well as their current situation.

Hsiao Chu-Chen
Hsiao Chu-Chen studied economy, but her interest in the disabled eventually led her to filmmaking. She shot several outstanding documentaries about unjustly persecuted persons, victims of racist violence and also about her family. She is one of the founders of the Taipei Documentary Film Festival. She worked on Our Time Our Story for several months and interviewed over 50 personalities.