Taiwan Insight

A Decade Later: What Is the Lasting Impact of the Sunflower and Umbrella Movements on Political Activism?

26 April 2024 Adrian Chiu

Written by Chun-yi Lee. This article reflects on the relevance of the Sunflower and Umbrella Movement today. Looking at the case of media freedom, the author highlights the importance of civil society guarding against authoritarian expansion and democratic consolidation. The movements remind of the fight against authoritarian power.

An Unfinished Journey of the Sunflower Movement in Taiwan

18 April 2024 Adrian Chiu

Written by Jackson Yeh. This article reviews the influential legacies of the Sunflower Movement to Taiwan politically and its state-society relations, including an institutionalised oversight mechanism of future cross-Strait deals. Nevertheless, the article contends that the journey of the Sunflower Movement against the China factors remains unfinished.

A Tale of Two Polities: Political Exchanges Between Taiwan and Hong Kong in the 2010s

17 April 2024 Adrian Chiu

Written by Brian Hioe. The geopolitical fates diverged significantly in the past decade since the Sunflower and Umbrella Movements broke out ten years ago. Nevertheless, this article analyses the political interactions between Hong Kong and Taiwan in terms of movement activists and electoral politics. The author argues that these exchanges are expected to continue.

The Sunflower and Umbrella Movements: Ten Years On

15 April 2024 Adrian Chiu

Written by Adrian Chiu. This special issue presents a brilliant line-up of scholars and observers of the two movements which provides insights and perspectives to analyse and reflect on the tenth anniversary of the Sunflower and Umbrella Movements. This introductory piece briefly sets the scene for their excellent analysis by reviewing some of the significant political changes both internationally and domestically.

Voices Lost Between the Frames: On Island in Between

12 April 2024 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by I-Lin Liu. This article provides a critical analysis of the Oscar-nominated short documentary Island in Between, asking who the film is for and what lies beyond the representations. The author traces the history of when and how nonfiction films became a medium for intercultural communication, which resonates with the director’s experiences and goals for the film. Despite the film’s deliberate distance from forms of government-produced propaganda, connections can still be seen, particularly that government-sponsored or produced films, in fact, dwindled from the Best Documentary Short Film category decades after its establishment. In addition, the depiction of Kinmanese in the film, in conversation with national identities and boundaries, remains contested through the director’s lens.

Island in Between: An Eternal Frontier?

10 April 2024 Chee-Hann Wu

Written by Chee-Hann Wu. This article argues that the Oscar-nominated short documentary Island in Between highlights the liminality and in-betweenness of both the island of Kinmen and the director’s diasporic identity. Rather than emphasizing its geopolitical significance and constant military presence, the short documentary focuses on the director’s personal journey and narrative, growing up in both Taiwan and the US, moving back to Taiwan in 2017, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, being drawn to Kinmen where his father served in the military. Through the director, the audience sees how he re-experiences Kinmen as a way to reconnect with a part of his identity, and is also able to reimagine Kinmen’s past and present.