From a Magic Lantern

This article was written by June Teufel Dreyer and published by the Taiwan Review on October 1, 2005. It is a review of the book "Taiwan Film Directors: A Treasure Island", which was co-written by Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh and Darrell William Davis.

The book explores the roles played by Taiwanese filmmakers in shaping up the nation's film industry since the Japanese colonial period (1895-1945). Taiwan's political, cultural, linguistic and ethnic relationships with Mainland China have had profound impacts on the works of these filmmakers. The book focuses on four major Taiwanese film directors: Edward Yang, Hou Hsiao-hsien, Ang Lee and Tsai Ming-liang.

This article itself, as a book review, provides a good overview of the historical development and major achievements of Taiwan's film industry. For those who are interested in Taiwanese and/or Asian films, this article - and the book it reviews - is a must-read.

June Teufel Dreyer is professor of political science at the University of Miami and a commissioner of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission established by the US Congress.