Journalist Neal E. Robbins seeks to examine the history of Taiwan, and the country’s on-going and ever expanding awareness of its identity in the documentary Taiwan: The Making of a Nation. As Robbins explains, he fell in love with Taiwan at a young age, and spends the next 58 minutes interviewing those associated with the nation state to discuss what makes it unique, and how much of it is tied into its relationship with China.
Robbins starts by giving a brief overview of Taiwan’s history, initially being involved in the conflict between China and Japan during WWII. Eventually, the Republic of China (ROC) claimed ownership of the country. A long spate of authoritarianism soon followed, dubbed the White Terror years, before the People’s Republic of China (PROC) came in. Because of this, Taiwan is not officially recognized as a country, but an offshoot of China.
Though Robbins’s narration can be dry, imparting a lot of information in a scant 30 minutes, the information is fascinating, particularly when Robbins talks to teachers in Taiwan about how the young school children are now asserting themselves and asking why they can’t fly the Taiwan flag. The question of whether the people are citizens of Taiwan or China is equally diverse, with various citizens talking about identifying with the Indigenous culture on the island, which has a lot of features separate from China.
Robbins is a true documentarian, never imparting his own opinion but stating facts. When that isn’t the focus of the documentary, he’s illustrating what the average person on the island does, the culture that is wholly Taiwanese. He documents people studying capoeira, oddly enough a Brazilian art, while others do tai chi. He visits the local history museum, and another that documents the political oppression during the White Terror. This is where Taiwan: The Making of a Nation truly thrives, when Robbins stops talking and lets the people of Taiwan discuss things themselves.
Though Taiwan: The Making of a Nation can feel like taking one’s medicine, the locale itself is utterly beautiful, and the history is so complex that it’s impossible not to want to learn more. Optional purchase.
Which public library collections should include Taiwan: The Making of a Nation?
Taiwan: The Making of a Nation is worth carrying for how it examines the myriad issues in the creation of Taiwan, its local government and its relationship to China.. It can be included in tributes documentaries under an hour. The movie is possible to show to all ages, though the extension narration and subtitles makes it better suited for high schoolers and above. Curated examinations of Taiwanese issues, or China’s colonialism, would benefit from this. Libraries that purchase titles from EPF Media would also do well to carry this.
What academic subjects or media education courses would benefit from this film about Taiwan?
This documentary can be used to examine the history of Taiwan, the relationship between Taiwan and China, the White Terror years, and Chinese communism. It can act as a great complement to reading first-person accounts from these time periods. Studies focused on cultural or national identity would also find use for this. It can also be a choice for discussions on how documentary as travelogue can be utilized.
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