DOCUMENTARY FESTIVAL: TAIWAN STUDY DAY (I)

REPORT

Dr Ming-Yeh Rawnsley

17 November 2009 

• Also see Press Release for Documentary Festival: Taiwan Study Day (I) 
• Also see Taiwan Study Day and Documentary Festival Phase II Report

1. Time and Date: 09:00–17:30, 14 November 2009 (Saturday)

2. Venue: Seminar Room 108, Parkinson Building, University of Leeds 

3. Organization: Organized by White Rose East Asian Centre, University of Leeds; Funded by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Leeds (Knowledge Transfer Grant); Supported by the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds and Taipei Representative Office in the UK

  (Grandma's Hairpin)

(Coffee in Taiwan)

(Taipei Bohemians)

4. Programme:

5. Report:

To the greatest delight of the organizers the Documentary Festival: Taiwan Study was a well attended and fruitful event. As the Festival took place from 9am until 5:30pm on Saturday 14 November 2009 with three screening sessions, there were audiences who attended the morning screening but left after lunch, while some others missed the morning programme and attended the afternoon session(s) only. However the majority of the participants stayed throughout the day. According to the register, 47 people signed the attendance sheet. Hence it is reasonable to estimate that there were probably altogether between 50 and 60 people who came to the event at some point of the day and some of whom didn’t sign the register.

As the Festival was organized with a Knowledge Transfer Grant awarded by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Leeds, the aims of the event were threefold: (1) to reach a wider audience, including UG/MA/PhD students and general public, instead of an academic audience only, (2) to create a forum where specialists can meet with non-specialists to communicate and discuss common interest, and (3) to raise profile of the University and to foster further interest and understanding on documentary as an art form and study tool, as well as on the society of Taiwan as an important part of Greater China region. The organizers are pleased to report that the event has met all the goals that it set out to achieve.

According to the register, among the participants there were 34 students from all levels of study (UG/MA/PhD) from several institutions (University of Leeds, University of Sheffield and University of York) with a variety of subject backgrounds (East Asian Studies, Communications Studies, Literature, English, Management and Translation); 3 people who are neither students nor academics; and 10 scholars from several institutions (University of Leeds, University of Sheffield, University of Manchester and Nottingham Trent University) with a variety of subject backgrounds (East Asian Studies, Communications Studies, Politics, History, World Cinema, Cosmopolitanism, and so on).

All the documentaries screened triggered thoughtful response from the speakers and the audience. The discussions during each Q&A session, as well as during the final panel session, were very lively. Grandma’s Hairpin was particularly well received by the audience. Questions and comments include: (1) The film touches upon immigrants’ issues which are universal. It can make any immigrants weep regardless whether they are Chinese or not. (2) The ill treatment of soldiers is also a common issue faced by most societies. The film is hence very poignant for anyone who pays attention to issues regarding the fate of soldiers and veterans. (3) The documentary comes from a strong patriarchal point of view, which is common in the genre because of the demography of Mainland veterans in Taiwan. (4) Do we know more about the funding the filmmaker received to make this documentary? (5) The documentary was made in 2000, which was a time when Taiwan was particularly interested in the issues of Mainland veterans and the issues of identities. (6) The documentary was made in a complex way – it is told in a third person’s viewpoint and the shifts to a first person mode. The style makes it a gripping film to watch. (7) The documentary is moving because it talks about politics from the personal. We have read so much about high politics but we forget about the impact of politics and wars on individuals. The film is valuable for this reason. (8) While many Communist veterans have begun publishing their stories, we haven’t seen many of these from Nationalists veterans. It is about time to learn more from ordinary individuals from both sides.   

The feedback to Coffee in Taiwan: Past and Present is more mixed, but the discussions were thought-provoking nevertheless. Questions and comments include: (1) The film is very much like the British documentaries in the 1930s. It is also quite similar to the themed report that we can see on the CCTV today. (2) Why is the documentary made? Who sponsored it? What is the purpose? (3) The documentary was made in 2004. There were a lot of product-oriented documentaries/projects at the time which were meant to promote Taiwan consciousness and self-pride among the people on Taiwan. This documentary fit in with this particular time and genre. (4) It is well made and treats memory and history as if it is tangible. It relates product, coffee, to human being and the history these people experienced. When the old men met each other in the programme after 40 years of separation, their emotions are real. It is very moving. (5) The documentary uses a lot of close-ups unnecessarily. The reason behind it is that there is nothing else to film. So the filmmaker uses close-ups to fill the space. (6) The documentary is made for television, not for cinema. There is no point in having long shots in television because you can’t see things clearly. This is the reason why there are a lot of well-planned close-ups. We must remember that these documentaries are made for a TV audience not for cinema. (7) It is important to remember that these documentaries are made for domestic consumption. It is very different from the films which are made with an international audience in mind, for example, some works from the filmmakers of (post) Taiwan New Cinema. When we judge these documentaries, it is vital to recognize to whom the programmes mean to appeal. (8) What is the relationship between the spoken languages and identities in the documentary?

Bohemians in Taipei: The Life of Theatre also provoked mixed feedback. The audience was very enthusiastic to voice their views and ask questions: (1) It is important to note that there are all kinds of theatres in Taiwan, Peking Opera, Taiwanese Opera, commercial modern theatres, as well as the experiment theatre shown in the documentary. In other words, theatre culture in Taiwan is vibrant and healthy, way ahead of Mainland China. (2) Everyone in the documentary seems so self-indulgent. Does it mean that they lack something in life so that they need the validation from their little theatre group? (3) It is like a home video not a documentary. For example, when we film our children, it is not a film or a documentary. The reason we do so is because we love our children. We don’t need to provide any context. This documentary is just like that. The filmmaker loves the people he filmed. He doesn’t have to offer us any context about theatres in Taiwan. But why should the audience care about the subject and the people in the film? (4) It is extremely well made and it is extremely moving. It gives us an insight about how cultural workers live and work in a particular social and economic context. (5) Is the film made in honour of the person who committed suicide? Can we have more information about the person who died? (6) I’d like to learn more the girl who financially supports the director of their theatre. It seems a worrying relationship to me but the filmmaker didn’t tell us anything more about it. (7) All the documentaries have subtitles. Are they really made for the domestic audience instead of international viewers?

To conclude, the Documentary Festival: Taiwan Study Day was as successful as the organizers could have hoped for. Regardless whether the audience liked one particular documentary or not, the majority of the participants seemed to agree that the organizers made a very good choice of the films. The festival enabled the audience to watch three documentaries within the limited timeframe. The films teased out as many subject matters as possible for the audience to ponder, to debate and to enjoy. Perhaps this is the reason why several emails were sent to the organizers after the event which expressed most encouraging messages. For example:

It was great opportunity for me to attend the Taiwan Study Day as an audience and a volunteer. It provides not only history and culture of  Taiwan but a trigger of understanding my country's history and communication with new people. Thank you very much.  

(MA student No.1, ICS, University of Leeds)

Today's documentary festival was really nice! I had lots of fun discussing with all the lecturers, experts and audiences.

(MA student No.2, ICS, University of Leeds)

 Thank you very much for inviting me to such a fantastic day! I admited that there are too much information to digest for a one go. But I really enjoy it! I never got an opportunity which likes today. Although I barely know nothing about Taiwaness culture,film making or documentary making, I don't feel excluded. What is surprisingly, I do feel so comfortable to be involved.

(MA student No.3, Translation, University of Leeds)

Thank you very much for giving me a chance to attend this event today! I enjoyed it very much and learned a lot. It was a very rememberable experience. I do not learn acdamic acknowledge and also gain funs of discussions. Thank you very much! I am looking forward next event!

(MA student No.4, ICS, University of Leeds)

 Just wanted to say thank you for yesterday’s study day. I really enjoyed watching the very well chosen documentaries and hearing the discussion. It was an excellent day and time well spent.

(MA student No.5, Chinese Studies, University of Leeds)

Finally, the organizers must acknowledge the financial support from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Leeds, as well as the administration and organizational support from the White Rose East Asian Centre, University of Leeds. The organizers must also thank the Institute of Communications Studies, University of Leeds for mobilizing student volunteers to assist the event on the day, as well as the Taipei Representative Office in the UK for clearing the copyright for screening the documentaries for the event.